DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
DURHAM,  N.  C. 


Rec'd 


I3;  1930 


f) 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


/ 


https://archive.org/details/lifelaborsofjohn01spre 


In  his  52nd  year. 


THE  LIFE  AND  LABORS 

If 


OF 


JOHN  SEYBERT, 


FIRST  BISHOP 


OF  THE 


Evangelical  Association 


BY 

REV.  S.  P.  SjPRENG, 

Author  of  "Rays  of  Light  on  the  Highway  to  Success.' 


They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the 
firmament;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness 
as  the  stars  forever  and  ever.— Dan.  12 : 3. 


Published  for  the  Evangelical  Association  by 
Lauer  &  Mattill,  Agents, 
Cleveland,  0. 
1888. 


160155 


DEDICATION. 


To  the  Evangelical  Association,  whose  first  Bishop  he  was; 
To  the  Bishops  now  living,  the  senior  of  whom  is  a  spiritual 

SON  AS  WELL  AS  A  SUCCESSOR  IN  THIS  HIGH  OFFICE; 
TO  THE  MINISTERS  AND  MEMBERS,  FOR  WHOSE  EMULATION  HIS 
REMARKABLE  EXAMPLE  IS  HERE  PORTRAYED,  AND 

To  the  Church  universal,  of  whose  bright  lights  he  was, 
one  of  the  brightest,  this  record  of  the  life  of 
Bishop  John  Seybert  is  affection- 
ately DEDICATED,  BY 
THE  AUTHOR. 


COPYRIGHTED,  1888,  BY  LAUER  &  MATTILL. 


(2) 


c/l«l«o 


PREFACE. 


•SCHOOL  OF 


The  story  of  Bishop  John  Sej'bert's  life  is  herewith  presented 
to  the  Church,  in  the  fond  hope  that  its  perusal  will  serve  to  keep 
alive  in  every  Evangelical  heart  the  love  of  the  Church  and 
rekindle  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  which  characterized  our  fathers, 
by  means  of  which  the  foundations  of  the  Evangelical  Association 
were  laid,  and  without  which  our  peculiar  church-life  can  not  be 
perpetuated.  Bishop  Seybert  was  of  all  our  fathers  the  typical 
Evangelical  preacher ;  in  every  element  peculiar  to  our  ministry, 
in  simplicity  of  life,  in  singleness  of  purpose,  in  self-sacrificing 
devotion  to  the  vital  truths  of  the  Gospel,  he  was  the  example 
and  the  pattern.  His  memory  should  be  kept  alive  to  the  latest 
generations,  and  especially  should  the  English  and  modern  portion 
of  our  Church  become  well  acquainted  with  the  record  of  his  life. 

Nearly  a  generation  has  already  passed  away,  since  the  grand  old 
man  was  taken  from  the  earth,  and  yet  until  now,  no  record  of  his 
remarkable  life  has  ever  been  offered  to  the  public  in  the  English 
language.  For  years  there  has  been  a  growing  desire  among  our 
ministry  and  membership  for  such  a  work,  but  various  obstacles 
delayed  its  publication  until  the  present  moment.  Not  only  do 
the  people  desire  it,  but  the  exigencies  of  the  times,  and  of  the 
future  demand  it.  The  present  modest  volume  is  a  slight  attempt 
to  meet  this  demand,  as  well  as  to  pay  a  deserved  though  humble 
tribute  to  the  extraordinary  character  and  career  of  the  first 
Bishop  and  first  regular  missionar}-  of  the  Evangelical  Association. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  book  we  have  had  access  to  the 
Bishop's  journals,  which  cover  the  entire  period  of  his  public  minis- 
try, from  1820-1860,  and  give  a  complete  record  of  his  daily  deeds 


160 1 5 5 


PREFACE. 


and  experiences.  The  perusal  of  that  journal,  written  in  his 
beautiful  hand-writing,  was  a  privilege  of  unspeakable  preeious- 
ness.  In  that  journal  he  gives  a  concise  account  of  every  day  for 
forty  years;  scarcely  a  day  is  omitted.  At  the  close  of  each  da}7  he 
could  indeed  say : 

"  One  more  day's  work  for  Jesus, 

How  sweet  the  work  has  been, 

To  tell  the  story, 

To  show  the  glory, 

Where  Christ's  flock  enter  in  !  " 

Another  thing  should  be  stated,  that  in  all  his  private  journal 
entries  there  occurs  not  a  single  word  of  unkind  criticism  or  a 
disparaging,  uncharitable  remark,  concerning  any  person,  nor  a 
word  which  indicates  the  least  vanity  or  self-esteem.  There  are 
not  many  of  whom  this  can  be  said. 

The  ^Life  and  Labors  of  Bishop  Seybert  "  in  the  German  language, 
by  the  late  Rev.  Solomon  Neitz,  the  eloquent  preacher  of  the  East 
Pennsylvania  conference,  was  also  consulted,  and  the  literature 
of  the  Church  in  general  was  drawn  upon,  besides  consulting 
Bishop  Sej^bert's  still  surviving  contemporaries. 

It  is  the  prayer  of  the  author  that  the  book,  despite  its  faults 
and  imperfections,  may  prove  a  great  spiritual  blessing  to  thou- 
sands, and  that  it  may  aid  in  the  advancement  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  and  in  the  spread  of  the  Evangelical  Association. 

S.  P.  Spreng. 


LIFE  AND  LABORS 

OF 

JOHN  SEYBERT 

(the  first  bishop  of  the  evangelical  association.) 


CHAPTER  I. 

PARENTAGE,  EARLY  TRAINING, — CONVERSION. 

During  the  War  of  American  Independence,  Henry 
Seybert,  then  a  lad  of  fifteen  years,  was  brought  to  this 
country  among  the  German  mercenaries  employed  by 
George  III.  of  England,  in  his  war  with  the  American 
colonies.  At  the  close  of  the  war  young  Seybert 
refused  to  be  " redeemed"  by  the  British  government, 
preferring  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the  new  Republic 
which  had  achieved  so  brilliant  a  victory  over  one  of 
the  foremost  nations  of  the  world,  rather  than  to  return 
to  Europe.  The  result  was  that  the  lad  was  thrown 
into  prison  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  from  which  a 
philanthrophic  gentleman,  named  Schaffner,  released 
him,  by  the  payment  of  one  hundred  dollars  as  a  ran- 
som price.  He  served  his  benefactor  three  years  for 
his  liberty,  working  at  his  trade  as  a  tailor.  It  was  in 
this  way  that  the  father  of  a  future  American  bishop 
earned  his  personal  liberty,  and  attained  to  citizenship 
in  the  United  States. 

1 1 


12  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


Soon  after  this  he  became  acquainted  with  Miss 
Susan  Kreuzer,  a  poor,  industrious  orphan  and  a  native 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Wurtemberg,  to  whom  he  was 
married  Sept.  5,  1790,  the  marriage  ceremony  being 
performed  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Muehlenberg,  a  dis- 
tinguished minister  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  The 
young  bride  had,  at  the  age  of  four  years,  lost  her 
father  in  the  deep  Atlantic.  The  young  couple  were 
thus  emphatically  thrown  upon  their  own  resources, 
but  German  economy,  industry  and  energy  enabled 
them  soon  to  acquire  a  reasonable  competency,  so 
that  at  the  untimely  death  of  Mr.  Seybert,  in  1806, 
the  family  was  in  possession  of  a  respectable  property. 

John  Seybert,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  was 
their  first  child,  and  was  born  July  7th,  1 79 1,  at 
Manheim,  Pennsylvania.  He  was  followed  by  three 
brothers,  Henry,  Christian  and  David.  Daughters 
there  were  none. 

When  John  was  about  thirteen  years  old,  an  im- 
portant change  occurred  in  the  religious  life  of  Henry 
and  Susan  Seybert.  The  mother  was  the  first  to 
realize  the  need  of  a  change  of  heart.  For  though 
both  she  and  her  husband  were  accepted  communi- 
cants in  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  they  became 
conscious  that  all  was  not  right  in  their  hearts.  The 
Holy  Spirit  wrought  powerfully  upon  their  minds,  and 
they  were  thoroughly  awakened  from  their  previous 
false  security.  They  began  to  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness.  But  since  their  unconverted  spiritual 
advisers  of  those  times  could  give  them  no  relief,  they 
began  to  look  about  for  other  means  of  grace.  They 


Parentage, — Early  Training, — Conversion.  i$ 

accordingly  attended  the  meetings  of  a  company  of 
pious,  converted  people,  in  the  vicinity,  and  were 
soon  rejoicing  in  the  saving  power  of  Christ.  They 
now  had  prayer-meetings  in  their  own  house,  which, 
though  it  caused  them  sore  persecution,  served  greatly 
to  strengthen  them  in  the  faith  of  the  Gospel.  This 
also  became  the  means  of  the  first  religious  impres- 
sions upon  the  mind  of  their  eldest  son  John.  He 
heard  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  calling  him,  frequently 
and  earnestly,  but  youthful  pleasures  held  for  a  while 
complete  control  over  him.  He  says  of  himself:  "I 
was  a  bad  boy ;  my  life,  from  youth  up  was  one  of 
wickedness,  though  my  parents  tried  every  possible 
means  to  check  and  control  me.  Neither  coaxing 
nor  scolding,  neither  kindness  nor  sternness  availed. 
They  did  not  spare  the  rod,  but  I  was  incorrigible,  I 
loved  sin." 

Henry  Seybert  was  a  man  of  impetuous  spirit, 
whose  temper  sometimes  overcame  his  judgment ;  he 
frequently  became  exceedingly  angry,  and  at  such 
times  did  what  he  afterwards  regretted  with  great 
sorrow.  He  possessed  the  choleric  temperament, 
which  sometimes  led  him  to  punish  his  children  with 
such  severity  as  to  rouse  their  anger,  make  them  vin- 
dictive, and  increase  their  stubbornness.  "  My  father," 
says  the  Bishop,  "  would  have  succeeded  much  better, 
had  he  understood  the  wholesome  art  of  first  moisten- 
ing the  rod  with  his  own  tears."  Mrs.  Seybert  was 
the  opposite  of  her  husband.  She  was  a  gentle  spirit, 
in  whom  the  melancholic  temperament  predominated, 
and  of  a  serious,  quiet,  sedate  disposition.    She  had 


14  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


great  self-possession,  and  sought  to  rule  her  children 
by  the  persuasive  power  of  love,  rather  than  with  the 
iron  sceptre  of  physical  force.  Says  the  Bishop, 
speaking  of  his  mother  :  "  She  frequently  prayed  with 
and  for  her  little  ones,  but  she  had  to  wait  a  long 
time  before  she  was  permitted  to  see  any  fruit  of  her 
labor  in  me.  My  parents  often  remarked  afterwards, 
that  I  was  worse  than  all  other  boys  of  the  same  age, 
and  worse  than  any  of  my  own  brothers.  They 
declared  that  wickedness  manifested  itself  in  me  at 
an  unusually  early  age  and  increased  in  virulence 
with  added  years.  The  weakening  of  the  carnal 
nature,  in  fact,  is  not  to  be  thought  of  so  long  as  sin 
reigns  within  us,  but  it  rather  grows  constantly  by 
means  of  the  very  wickedness  which  it  produces." 

When  young  Seybert  was  about  seven  years  old, 
he  was  sent  to  school  where  he  soon  learned  to  read 
and  write  in  both  German  and  English.  At  the  same 
time  he  was  sent  to  his  parents'  pastor  for  catechetical 
instruction,  with  a  view  to  the  rite  of  "  confirmation," 
as  it  is  called.  "But,"  says  he,  "we  candidates  for 
confirmation  were  a  set  of  godless  sinners,  practicing 
all  manner  of  wickedness,  in  the  intervals  between 
our  lessons."  At  length,  however,  a  circumstance 
occurred  which  resulted  in  preventing  him  from  being 
confirmed.  Mr.  Seyberts  father,  namely,  meanwhile 
lost  all  confidence  in  the  minister,  because  of  his  un- 
christian conduct,  and  therefore  objected  to  the  con- 
firmation of  his  son.  It  was  well.  Perhaps,  if  John 
Seybert  had  been  allowed  to  finish  his  catechetical 
education,  and  to  be  "confirmed,"  in  his  unregenerate 


Parentage, — Early  Training, —  Conversion.      1 5 


state  of  heart,  he  might  have  lived  and  died  a  deluded 
man,  having  the  form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the 
power  thereof.  Nothing  can  be  more  baneful  than  to 
be  declared  a  Christian  by  a  mere  ceremonial  ordin- 
ance of  a  lifeless  church,  when  the  subject  has  not 
the  consciousness  of  Divine  pardon.  This  is  a  "strong 
delusion."  Mr.  Seybert,  we  are  entitled  to  believe, 
escaped  this  delusion  by  Providential  interference. 
Otherwise  he  might  never  have  been  converted,  and 
as  a  result  would,  undoubtedly,  have  lived  a  common- 
place life,  if  not  a  life  of  vastly  pernicious  influence. 
It  is  hardly  to  be  supposed,  however,  that  such  a  man 
could  have  lived  without  exerting  a  great  influence, 
either  for  good  or  evil.  At  the  same  time  there  is  no 
doubt  that  the  quickening  and  renewing  grace  of  God 
lifted  him  out  of  comparative  social  obscurity,  extended 
the  sphere  of  his  life,  enlarged  his  capacities,  and 
widened  immeasurably  the  horizon  of  his  actual  in- 
fluence. John  Seybert,  like  Saul  of  Tarsus,  had 
naturally  too  much  positive  strength  of  character,  and 
too  great  natural  endowments,  not  to  have  become  a 
leader  among  men.  It  was,  therefore,  specially  for- 
tunate that  the  grace  of  God  rescued  him.  He  him- 
self expressed  the  following  conviction:  "Had  I  been 
confirmed  by  the  Church  in  my  unregenerate  state, 
and  admitted  to  the  Holy  Communion,  perhaps  I 
should  not  have  been  converted  for  a  long  time  as 
yet.  As  it  was,  through  the  influence  of  my  comrades 
I  fell  deeper  and  deeper  into  sin,  and  the  evil  passions 
grew  in  power  in  my  soul,  so  that  I  felt  a  positive 
hunger  and  a  burning  desire  for  the  delights  of  sin. 


1 6  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

I  practiced  evil  with  alacrity,  while  I  felt  a  strong 
aversion  to  that  which  is  holy  and  virtuous.  I  was 
now  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  desperately  wicked." 

He  began  to  recognize  the  awakening  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  his  fourteenth  year,  as  the  result  of 
the  conversion  of  his  parents  and  the  consequent 
change  of  life  which  this  effected  in  them.  Mr.  Sey- 
bert  gives  the  following  account  of  this  experience. 
"It  frequently  occurred  to  me  that  I  also  ought  to 
lead  a  better  life  and  to  follow  the  pious  example  of 
my  parents.  But  alas  !  this  was  all  that  came  of  it. 
The  devil  led  me  to  believe  that  it  was  much  too 
soon  for  me  to  be  converted,  and  thus  taught  me  the 
dangerous  habit  of  procrastination.  True,  I  promised 
myself  to  seek  religion  sometime,  and  so  went  on  in 
the  road  that  is  truthfully  said  to  be  '  paved  with  good 
intentions.'  Oh,  procrastination  is  the  weapon  which 
the  ' strong  man  armed'  employs  to  guard  the  palace 
of  the  human  heart  against  the  'Stronger'  lest  he  be 
robbed  of  his  armor  and  the  spoil  be  taken  from  him. 

(t  Nevertheless  my  poor  heart  was  melted  more 
than  once,  and  that  at  times  in  public  places.  The 
influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  became  occasionally 
irrisistible.  I  remember  especially  a  certain  'big  meet- 
ing' where  the  preaching  affected  me  so  powerfully, 
that,  on  the  way  home,  I  lingered  behind  our  company, 
so  that  I  might  weep  over  my  miserable  and  sinful 
condition,  unseen  by  mortals,  and  that  I  might  have 
opportunity  to  meditate,  undisturbed,  on  the  patience 
and  longsufTering  of  God,  in  bearing  with  me  so  long. 
On  another  occasion  at  a  meeting  of  the  United 


Parentage, — Early  1  raining, — Conversion,  17 

Brethren,  I  was  so  mightily  wrought  upon,  that  I 
wept  loudly  enough  to  be  heard,  and  friends  came  to 
me,  urging  me  to  enter  into  the  conflict  for  my  soul's 
salvation,  immediately.  And  I  did  pray,  and  entreat 
God  to  give  me  peace.  But  my  will  would  not  yield 
fully.  However,  I  became  willing,  upon  this,  to  at- 
tend public  services  and  prayer-meetings.  I  also  felt 
at  this  time  a  strong  inclination  towards  those  things 
which  are  pure  and  of  good  report.  Virtue  and  sin 
had  begun  a  struggle  upon  the  battle  field  of  my  soul. 
It  was  a  desperate  conflict.  Whenever  I  attended 
the  meetings  of  God's  people,  my  good  resolutions 
were  greatly  strengthened,  my  convictions  deepened, 
and  like  Peter  I  wept  bitterly  on  such  occasions.  At 
other  times  I  was  overcome  by  the  power  of  evil, 
which  still  maintained  dominion  in  me,  for  I  was  not 
yet  born  again.  I  was  not  made  free  by  the  Son  of 
God.  After  these  seasons  of  sinful  abandonment  I 
suffered  terrible  compunctions  of  conscience,  for  I 
knew  better  than  I  acted."  Such  was  the  religious 
experience  and  inner  life  of  John  Seybert,  when  a  lad 
of  but  fourteen  years. 

Two  of  his  brothers  died  in  infancy.  He  says 
beautifully  concerning  this:  "The  Lord  took  these 
children  out  of  the  polluting  companionship  of  sinful 
men,  into  the  fellowship  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven, 
because  he  loved  them." 

When  he  was  not  yet  fifteen  years  of  age,  the  Lord 
also  called  away  his  father,  in  March  1806,  at  the 
early  age  of  forty-five.    The  death  of  Henry  Seybert 
was  the  occasion  of  important  events.    Within  one 
2 


1 8  Life  and  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


year  of  her  husband's  demise,  the  widow,  who  was 
now  the  only  support  of  the  two  remaining  sons,  John 
and  David  —  the  eldest  and  the  youngest  —  fell  into 
bad  hands,  which  doubtless  would  not  have  been 
possible,  had  Mr.  Seybert  remained  living.  The 
representations  of  that  religious  enthusiast,  George- 
Rapp,  would  have  made  but  little  impression  upon 
Henry  Seybert's  firm  and  settled  character,  whereas 
the  gentle  nature  of  his  wife,  softened  still  more  by 
her  recent  severe  bereavement,  was  very  easily  im- 
pressed by  Rapp's  deceptive  Pietism.  —  But  to  be 
explicit. 

A  society  had  come  from  Germany  to  this  country, 
who  professed  to  be  Divinely  commissioned,  and 
specially  and  specifically  sent  to  this  western  Republic, 
to  establish  here  the  Millennium.  Their  founder  and 
leader  was  George  Rapp.  He  had  selected  a  stretch 
of  land  about  twenty-five  miles  north-west  of  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  for  his  home.  Here  he  built  a  village 
and  established  his  society.  The  village  and  the 
society  were  named  "  Harmony."  One  of  the  families 
of  this  society  obtained  a  home  in  Mrs.  Seybert's 
house,  through  her  kind-heartedness  and  hospitality. 
This  occasioned  frequent  visits  from  other  members 
of  the  society.  No  sooner,  however,  had  these  chili- 
asts  —  for  such  they  were  —  become  acquainted  with 
the  Seyberts,  than  they  began  to  display  a  strong 
disposition  to  secure  them  as  new  adherents  to  their 
scheme.  They  succeeded  in  misleading  Mrs.  Seybert, 
so  that  she  became  confused  in  her  religious  concep- 
tions.   The  Harmonists  represented  that  they  alone 


Parentage, — Early  Training, — Conversion.  19 

in  all  the  wide  world  of  Christendom,  were  on  the 
right  way,  and  claimed  to  be  the  special  favorites  of 
God.  They  proclaimed  that  God  would  now  speedily 
gather  all  His  scattered  sheep  together  into  their 
particular  society,  and  the  village  of  Harmony  was 
destined  to  become  the  new  Jerusalem.  They  urged 
immediate  and  literal  separation  from  all  worldly 
society  and  occupations,  and  union  with  themselves  ; 
just  as  Lot  left  Sodom  and  as  the  disciples  had  fled 
to  the  mountains  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  In 
the  society  of  the  Harmonists  alone,  was  there  abso- 
lute security,  etc. 

By  these,  and  similar  representations,  these  people 
finally  persuaded  the  mother  to  forsake  her  already 
fatherless  children.  About  thirteen  months  after  her 
husband's  death,  she  left  her  two  boys, —  the  youngest 
but  eight  years  of  age  —  left  everything  the  family 
had,  regardless  of  the  dying  instructions  of  her 
husband,  in  his  last  will  and  testament,  according  to 
which  she  was  to  have  remained  upon  the  family 
estate  until  the  eldest  son,  John,  should  reach  his 
majority,  —  and  followed  these  people  into  their 
settlement  west  of  Pittsburgh.  Nothing  could  pre- 
vent her  from  taking  this  step.  She  disregarded 
all  the  entreaties  of  relatives,  and  the  advice  of 
friends,  steeled  her  heart  against  the  helpless  orphan- 
age of  her  boys,  and  went  to  Harmony.  Such  is 
the  power  of  fanaticism,  and  such  the  unnatural  in- 
fluence and  tendency  of  erroneous  religious  teaching. 
When  men  wrest  the  Scriptures,  they  do  it  to  their 
own  hurt ;  when  they  supersede  God's  word,  by  the 


20  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


teachings  of  conceited  human  wisdom,  they  ruin 
themselves  and  all  who  follow  them.  False  doctrine 
has  always  been  inimical  to  the  best  interests  of 
humanity ;  truth  alone  always  works  well,  and  is 
followed  by  humane  and  elevating  tendencies. 

Some  account  of  the  life  of  George  Rapp  and  his 
colony  may  be  in  place  here.  George  Rapp  was  a 
native  of  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  born  in  1770,  who, 
already  in  early  life,  believed  himself  to  be  favored 
with  revelations  from  God.  These  pretences  grad- 
ually developed  into  the  conviction  that  he  was  called 
to  restore  the  Christian  religion  to  purity.  In  the 
course  of  time  he  withdrew  himself  from  civil  and  also 
ecclesiastical  obligations,  and  labored  to  construct  a 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  organization  of  his  own  with  a 
community  of  possessions,  pretendedly  modeled  after 
the  apostolic  church.  Being  prevented  by  the  civil 
government  from  carrying  out  his  scheme,  he  emi- 
grated to  the  United  States  in  1803,  with  his  followers, 
and  at  the  close  of  1804  founded  a  colony,  called 
Harmony,  as  stated  above.  Its  members  were  sup- 
posed to  live  in  perfect  harmony,  and  complete  equal- 
ity of  possessions,  rights  and  duties  was  to  prevail. 
Later,  Rapp  sold  this  colony,  and  emigrated  to  Indi- 
ana. Among  these  Harmonists,  about  1809,  at  a 
time  of  high  religious  excitement,  the  principle  and 
practice  of  continence  or  marital  abstinence  was  in- 
troduced. In  Indiana  they  settled  in  the  valley  of  the 
Wabash,  in  Posey  Co.,  but  suffered  so  terribly  from 
the  malarial  fevers  which  were  prevalent  in  that 
country,  which  was  at  that  time  the  far  west  and  un- 


Parentage, — Early  Training, —  Conversion.  21 


cultivated,  that  they  turned  their  steps  eastward  again. 
At  that  time,  it  is  believed,  that  the  organization 
already  possessed  property  worth  half  a  million 
dollars.  Rapp  returned  with  the  faithful  to  a  point 
within  eighteen  miles  of  Pittsburgh,  on  the  right 
side  of  the  Ohio  river,  in  Beaver  county,  where  the 
colony  of  "Economy"  was  founded,  which  soon  be- 
came the  head-quarters  for  the  Harmonists,  and 
which  exists  to  the  present  day,  as  a  wealthy 
community.  They  cultivated  the  soil,  constructed 
respectable  buildings  along  an  avenue  of  green  trees, 
and  caused  the  desert  to  blossom  abundantly. 

Mr.  Rapp  acted  as  leader,  high-priest  and  preacher, 
and,  demanding  implicit  faith  in  his  teachings,  he 
exacted  unconditional  obedience  to  his  legislation. 
He  controlled  all  the  common  property  of  the  colony 
in  the  corporate  name,  and  regulated  and  prescribed 
all  their  social  customs  as  well  as  their  religious  rites, 
and  even  made  marriage  contracts  dependent  upon 
his  consent.  He  exacted  a  novitiate  of  four  weeks' 
duration,  and  the  transfer  of  all  property  of  all  can- 
didates for  membership  in  the  community. 

The  Harmonists  suffered,  however,  a  considerable 
loss  in  183 1,  through  an  impostor  named  Bernhard 
Miller,  alias  Proli,  who,  under  the  pretence  of  being 
of  princely  ancestry,  introduced  himself  as  Count 
Maximilian  of  Leon.  He  settled  in  Pittsburgh,  an- 
nounced himself  as  the  Lord's  anointed,  and  claimed 
to  be  called  to  judge  the  world  and  to  inaugurate  the 
Millennium  by  the  organization  of  the  society  of  the 
New  Jerusalem.     The  "  Count "  joined  himself  to 


22 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


Rapp  and  his  society,  in  the  capacity  of  a  prophet. 
Rapp  guaranteed  to  him  and  his  younger  associates 
the  privilege  of  matrimony,  and  true  community  of 
goods.  The  Count,  however,  soon  withdrew  from  the 
colony  with  three  hundred  adherents,  and  compelled 
Rapp  to  pay  over  to  him  the  respectable  sum  of 
I  $105,000.00  as  his  share  of  the  common  property. 
This  sum  he  squandered  like  a  prodigal,  eventually 
cheated  his  followers,  separated  himself  from  them 
and  settled  in  Arkansas.  He  at  last  perished  miser- 
ably. Rapp,  whose  colony  is  practically  a  Protestant 
conventicle  that  has  not  increased  in  members,  died 
in  1847.    A  Mr.  Baker  became  his  successor. 

These  were  the  people  who  so  sadly  interfered 
with  the  family  life  of  the  Seyberts,  by  deceiving  the 
widowed  mother.  Notwithstanding  the  conduct  of 
his  mother  towards  himself  and  his  brother,  Mr.  Sey- 
bert never  in  his  life  allowed  himself  to  think  of  or 
treat  her  otherwise  than  kindly  and  respectfully.  His 
journal  shows  that  he  never  failed  to  visit  her  to  the 
end  of  life,  whenever  possible,  and  always  enjoyed  it. 
He  believed  that  she  was  sincere,  though  strangely 
misguided.  She  really  believed  that  to  be  the  way 
to  save  her  soul,  and  she  was  specially  deceived  by 
the  semblance  of  asceticism  which  was  involved  in 
the  doctrine  and  organization  of  the  Harmonists. 

The  Bishop's  remaining  brother  David,  however, 
was  very  differently  affected.  The  affair  created  in 
him  a  life-long,  bitter  and  inextinguishable  hatred 
towards  his  mother.  He  never  wanted  to  hear  any- 
thing about  her  after  that.    His  youthful  heart  received 


Parentage, — Early  Training, —  Conversion,  23 

too  severe  a  shock  ever  to  recover  from  it.  John,  on 
the  other  hand,  continued  to  the  end  of  life  to  respect 
and  love  her,  especially  after  his  conversion  in  his 
twentieth  year.  He  frequently  visited  her  at  the 
colony,  during  his  ministerial  career,  and  invariably 
spoke  affectionately  of  her.  She  died,  only  about  a 
year  before  he  himself  passed  away,  at  the  ripe  age 
of  ninety-two  years,  and  after  her  death  he  frequently 
alluded  to  her  in  his  sermons,  stating  that  he  expected 
to  meet  her  in  heaven. 

John  Seybert  exhibited  great  firmness  and  an  ad- 
mirable adherence  to  his  religious  convictions.  After 
his  mother  had  forsaken  him,  he  proceeded  forthwith 
to  take  the  place  of  a  parent  to  his  yet  tender 
brother  David,  and  labored  hard  with  his  hands  to 
sustain  himself  and  his  brother  on  the  paternal  estate. 
He  was  industrious,  and  avoided  extravagance  and 
loaferism.  Though  not  yet  converted,  he  firmly  be- 
lieved in  God  and  in  the  Bible,  and  though  at  times 
he  was  led  into  sinful  indulgences  by  evil  companions, 
yet  he  maintained  his  integrity  of  character.  This 
trait  also  manifested  itself  quite  positively  in  his  sub- 
sequent bearing  towards  the  Harmonists.  His  mother 
with  her  associates  tried  every  possible  means  to  in- 
duce him  to  join  them.  At  the  early  age  of  sixteen 
and  seventeen  he  firmly  withstood  all  their  efforts  to 
entangle  him  in  their  delusion.  Neither  entreaties, 
threats,  nor  blandishments  availed.  His  mother  wrote 
letter  after  letter  ;  her  efforts  were  reinforced  by  the 
ablest  apostles  of  the  society,  but  all  to  no  purpose. 
As  long  as  she  followed  the  directions  of  his  father's 


24  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


testament,  he  treated  her  wishes  like  the  edicts  of  a 
king,  but  after  her  abandonment,  he  did  what  he 
believed  to  be  right,  while  listening  patiently  and 
respectfully  to  all  she  had  to  say.  And  all  her  efforts 
were  necessarily  directed  to  him,  since  his  brothers 
heart  was  closed  against  her  forever.  When  bland- 
ishments and  flatteries  failed,  the  Harmonists  began 
to  hurl  anathemas.  They  declared  that  all  outside  of 
their  community  would  be  the  victims  of  unspeakable 
calamities  and  awful  destruction.  But  John  replied 
with  manly  firmness,  and  emphatically  refused  to  have 
anything  whatever  to  do  with  them.  As  a  last  resort, 
they  sent  special  emissaries  to  him,  who  tried  to 
picture  the  peculiar  delights  and  beauties  of  their 
conventicle,  in  glowing  colors,  in  the  hope  of  enticing 
him.  They  evidently  judged,  and  rightly  too,  that 
John  Seybert  would  make  a  valuable  addition  to  their 
number.  But,  though  he  was  himself  a  decidedly  ec- 
centric personality,  yet  he  never  took  any  stock  in  the 
eccentricity  of  monkdom.  Its  seclusion  accorded  ill 
with  his  practical  view  of  life  and  of  the  Christian 
religion. 

These  occurrences,  and  sad  changes  in  the  family 
life,  had  the  effect  to  dampen  Mr.  Seybert's  religious 
zeal,  and  temporarily  obliterated  the  pungent  convic- 
tions he  had  previously  experienced.  His  advance- 
ment towards  the  kingdom  of  grace  was  severely 
checked,  and  for  the  space  of  three  years  his  religious 
life  was  indeed  "A  barren  waste,  and  howling  wilder- 
ness." 

He  might  have  adopted  the  language  of  Carlyle 


Parentage, — Early  Training, — Conversion.  25 


during  this  period:  "A  nameless  unrest  urged  me 
forward.  Whither  should  I  go  ?  My  loadstars  were 
blotted  out ;  in  that  canopy  of  grim  fire  shone  no  star. 
Yet  forward  I  must ;  the  ground  burnt  under  me  ; 
there  was  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  my  foot.  I  was  alone, 
alone  !  A  feeling  I  had  that,  for  my  fever-thirst,  there 
was  and  must  be  somewhere  a  healing  fountain."  He 
ceased  to  attend  the  meetings  of  the  people  of  God, 
and  came  near  yielding  to  the  boisterous  public  voice 
that  "these  praying  people"  —  meaning  the  Evan- 
gelicals, principally,  —  are  the  false  prophets  and 
deceivers,  of  whom  the  Scriptures  gave  warning.  At 
length,  however,  in  his  nineteenth  year,  he  agreed 
with  an  associate  to  go  on  a  certain  occasion,  to  hear 
one  of  these  reputed  "deceivers"  preach.  The  service 
was  to  be  held  in  a  private  house.  When  they  arrived 
at  the  house,  his  companion  hesitated,  but  Seybert  led 
the  way  and  the  other  followed.  It  so  happened  that 
young  Seybert  sat  upon  the  end  of  a  bench  which 
extended  to  the  table  behind  which  the  preacher  sat. 
As  people  kept  coming  in  he  was  crowded  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  preacher,  until  at  last  he  could  get  no 
nearer.  The  preacher  was  Rev.  Matthias  Betz,  a 
mighty  preacher,  who  was  at  that  time  serving  Lan- 
caster circuit  with  Rev.  John  Dreisbach,  of  precious 
memory.  The  Bishop  frequently  declared  that  Betz 
gave  him  "the  finishing  stroke"  that  night.  While 
young  Seybert  sat  there  waiting  for  the  service  to 
begin,  he  keenly  observed  everything  about  him  in 
the  room.  During  Bro.  Betz's  opening  prayer  the 
Spirit  of  God  got  an  overpowering  hold  upon  his 


26 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


heart.  He  afterwards  related,  that  during  this  prayer 
he  shuddered  convulsively  and  that  new  and  strange 
feelings  possessed  his  soul.  This  experience  during 
prayer,  well  nigh  cured  him  of  the  suspicion  that  the 
preachers  of  the  Evangelical  Association  were  false 
prophets.  Here  is  his  own  account  of  what  followed: 
"  After  prayer  the  preacher  rose,  stood  behind  the 
table,  read  a  text  of  Scripture,  and  began  to  preach. 
Before  he  was  half-way  through,  I  was  thoroughly 
convinced  that  he  was  a  true  servant  of  Jesus  Christ. 
I  was  also  convinced  that  I  was  no  Christian,  but  a 
sinner  who  richly  deserved  the  wrath  of  God.  Then 
and  there  I  received  a  wound  from  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  and  a  stroke  from  the  hammer  of  the  Word, 
from  which  I  never  recovered,  and  the  effects  of 
which  will  continue  with  me  through  all  eternity. 
Praise  the  Lord  for  it  H 

That  sermon  and  that  prayer  broke  the  long  slum- 
ber of  his  conscience,  and  John  Seybert  was  no  longer 
able  to  delay  seeking  Christ.  His  associate  was 
similarly  affected,  and  both  went  home  buried  so 
deeply  in  thought,  that  scarcely  any  conversation 
passed  between  them.  It  was  the  beginning  of  a  new 
life  for  Seybert.  The  next  morning  he  rose  early,  in 
a  contrite  frame  of  mind,  and  about  six  o'clock  formed 
the  resolution  to  consecrate  himself  from  that  hour 
wholly  to  the  Lord,  soul  and  body,  and  with  all  that 
he  had  for  time  and  for  eternity.  He  had  coolly 
counted  the  cost,  and  deliberately  determined  upon 
this  course,  regardless  of  consequences.  With  stream- 
ing eyes  he  prayed  the  prayer  of  the  Publican,  as  he 


Parentage, — Early  Training, — Conversion.  27 


rose  from  his  knees :  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
sinner"!  Then  he  repeated  stanzas  of  hymns  which 
expressed  the  burning  desire  of  his  heart  to  be  free 
from  sin.  He  continued  his  struggle  of  soul  all  that 
day,  by  repeating  some  of  the  penitential  Psalms,  until 
his  tear-stained  eyes  were  too  dim  to  read.  His  asso- 
ciate pursued  for  a  while  the  same  course,  but  grew 
weary  and  gave  up  the  struggle.  Seybert  went  on. 
He  soon  became  more  courageous,  and  willing  to  take 
up  the  cross;  he  attended  public  services,  eager  to  hear 
the  hated  "  preachers  of  repentance,"  sought  the  Lord 
publicly  as  well  as  privately,  separated  himself  from 
the  world,  and  devoted  himself  with  energy  to  the 
salvation  of  his  soul.  Withal  he  had  to  suffer  perse- 
cution. In  those  days,  whoever  espoused  the  cause 
of  Christ  had  to  expect  that,  and  no  one  became  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Association  for  the  fashion 
of  it.  Such  a  step  was  anything  but  fashionable. 
John  Seybert,  however,  was  too  sin-sick  to  care  for 
persecution  ;  besides,  he  had  taken  it  into  the  reckon- 
ing beforehand,  for  he  knew  what  the  step  he  took 
involved.  Accordingly  he  sought  consolation  and 
counsel  among  the  "praying  people."  He  sought  to 
grasp  the  idea  of  faith  in  the  sufficient  merit  of  Jesus, 
and  continued  to  wrestle  day  and  night  in  prayer  and 
entreaty,  in  strong  crying  and  tears,  with  unabated 
earnestness,  until,  in  his  own  favorite  phrase,  he  was 
"converted  deep  into  eternal  life"  (tief  ins  ewige  Le- 
ben  hinein  bekehrt).  He  knew  the  time  and  place  of 
his  conversion  very  definitely.  It  was  June  21,  1810, 
when  the  awful  struggle  finally  ended  in  victory,  and 


28 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


rest  came  to  his  tried  and  weary  soul,  after  two  -ong 
months  of  incessant  striving  to  enter  in  at  the  strait 
gate.  In  harmony  with  the  man  himself  and  every- 
thing connected  with  his  person,  this  important  occur- 
rence was  also  somewhat  singular.  He  awoke  early 
on  the  twenty-first  of  June,  feeling  unusually  depressed 
and  sad.  The  burden  of  his  sin  became  at  length 
unbearable.  Everything  about  him  had  assumed  a 
sombre  aspect,  himself  the  centre  of  sadness,  and  in 
his  own  estimation  the  most  miserable  being  on  earth. 
As  he  walked  out  of  the  house  that  morning,  he  again 
and  again  groaned  his  oft  repeated  prayer:  "God  be 
merciful  to  me,  a  sinner,  for  Jesus'  sake  !"  Meanwhile 
he  had  reached  the  well,  the  trough  of  which  the 
members  of  the  family  were  accustomed  to  use  for 
the  purpose  of  washing  themselves.  He  stooped  to 
bathe  his  tear-stained  face  in  the  clear  water,  when 
instantly  he  became  conscious  that  the  load  of  guilt 
had  been  rolled  from  his  soul,  and  that  the  blood  of 
Jesus  was  applied  to  his  heart.  He  realized  at  that 
moment  that  he  was  washed  with  the  washing  of 
regeneration  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  fashion  of  his  countenance  was  altered,  and 
prayer  was  changed  to  praise.  Old  things  had  passed 
away,  and  behold,  all  things  had  become  new.  He 
had  received  "beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for 
mourning,  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of 
heaviness."  He  was  "a  new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus." 
Thenceforth  John  Seybert  was  a  Christian.  Thence- 
forward he  served  the  Lord  with  almost  unexampled 
ardour  to  the  end  of  his  days,  a  blessing  to  his  day 


Parent  age, —Early  Training, —  Conversion.  29 

and  generation.  He  was  a  burning  and  a  shining 
light.  He  became  a  great  winner  of  souls,  and  turned 
many  to  righteousness.  To  many  a  seeker  of  religion 
he  afterwards  gratefully  related  how  the  Lord  had 
saved  him  while  washing  his  natural  face  in  a  trough 
by  the  well.  "There  by  that  well,"  he  exclaimed, 
"the  Lord  converted  me  deep  into  eternal  life  ;  there 
he  blessed  me  for  the  first  time,  and  I  will  not  forget 
it  to  all  eternity.  My  heavy  load  was  suddenly  gone, 
my  sorrowful  spirit  was  made  instantly  happy,  and  I 
was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost.    Hallelujah  !" 

Such  a  conversion  is  the  greatest  possible  event  in 
a  man's  life,  and  such  it  proved  to  be  in  John  Seybert's 
case.    The  whole  course  of  his  life  was  changed  by  it. 


3° 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


CHAPTER  II. 

HIS  CALL        THE  MINISTRY,  AND  THE  BEGINNING 
OF  HIS  WORK. 

Immediately  upon  his  conversion,  Mr.  Seybert 
united  with  the  Evangelical  Association.  For  a  while 
he  continued  at  his  trade  as  a  cooper.  The  society 
to  which  he  belonged,  however,  soon  urged  his  ap- 
pointment as  exhorter,  and  in  accordance  with  their 
wishes  Rev.  J.  Dreisbach,  the  first  Presiding  Elder  of 
the  Evangelical  Association,  licensed  him  as  such. 
This  was  his  first  office  in  the  church,  the  functions 
of  which  he  discharged  with  great  zeal  and  exemplary 
faithfulness.  Soon  afterwards  he  was  elected  class- 
leader.  He  keenly  felt  his  unworthiness  and  unfit- 
ness, as  he  expressed  it,  for  such  public  service  in  the 
church  ;  but,  yielding  to  the  importunity  of  the 
preachers,  he  accepted  the  position,  serving  in  this 
capacity  for  a  while  in  two  classes,  one  in  Manheim 
and  the  other  in  Mt.  Joy,  seven  or  eight  miles  distant. 
The  Lord  blessed  him  and  his  classes  greatly  ;  their 
prayer-meetings  were  seasons  of  great  spiritual  power 
and  rejoicing,  and  sinners  were  convicted  and  con- 
verted in  them. 

With  his  accustomed  modesty  he  speaks  of  his  call 
to  the  ministry  in  his  Journal:  "  For  sometime  I  had 
felt  a  deep  inward  constraint  to  preach  the  Gospel, 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


3* 


but  on  account  of  my  sense  of  unfitness,  I  was  very 
careful  not  to  mention  it  to  anyone,  and  went  on 
quietly  in  the  discharge  of  my  duties  as  class-leader, 
when,  without  any  solicitation  on  my  part,  the  breth- 
ren received  me  into  the  ministry  as  a  local  proba- 
tioner. This  was  in  18 19,  and  I  made  my  first  at- 
tempt to  preach  with  1  John  3:8,  9,  for  a  text." 

Bishop  Seybert's  call  to  the  ministry  was  never 
doubted  by  the  people  of  God,  nor  by  the  devoted 
servants  of  Jesus  Christ.  Ke  was  himself  the  only 
one  who  ever  was  troubled  with  any  misgivings  on 
that  subject.  It  soon  became  clear  to  all  that  he  was 
indeed  called  of  God,  for  his  ministrations  had  a 
powerful  effect  upon  his  hearers,  and  produced  pro- 
found impressions,  often  setting  everything  in  com- 
motion. It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  sinners  to 
break  down  in  bitter  tears  of  penitence,  under  the 
fervent  appeals  of  the  youthful  class-leader,  while  the 
saints  were  greatly  edified  and  quickened  by  his 
stirring  exhortations.  He  was  evidently  endued  with 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Of  course,  his  sermons  at  the  first 
were  not  in  themselves  remarkably  excellent  ;  indeed 
sometimes  they  were  rather  inferior  productions.  He 
was  no  intellectual  prodigy.  But  it  was  clear  that  he 
was  deeply  in  earnest,  had  the  salvation  of  souls  at 
heart,  and  was  a  chosen  vessel  of  God's  mercy.  Be- 
sides, he  was  assiduous  in  the  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
instant  in  prayer,  active  in  pastoral  visitation,  and 
constantly  devising  means  and  methods  to  rescue  the 
perishing.  His  great  self-denial,  his  modest  bearing, 
his  affable  manners,  his  philanthropic  disposition,  and 


3  2  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


withal  his  eminently  Christian  walk  and  conversation, 
secured  for  him,  without  his  seeking  it,  the  universal 
confidence  and  respect  of  mankind. 

In  respect  of  his  special  equipment  for  the  work  of 
the  Gospel  ministry,  it  was  from  above.  He  had  at 
the  outset  but  limited  literary  attainments,  owing  to 
the  general  want  of  educational  facilities  within  his 
reach  at  that  time.  Schools  and  colleges  were  as 
yet  comparatively  scarce,  and  those  that  did  exist 
were  little  adapted  to  fit  a  man  for  the  work  of  a 
preacher  in  the  Evangelical  Association.  His  spiritual 
equipment  was,  from  the  beginning,  excellent.  He 
had  but  one  purpose  in  preaching,  and  that  was  to 
save  sinners.  In  this  purpose  he  was  so  earnest  that 
he  frequently  forgot  his  text,  while  being  led  out  to 
plead  with  sinners  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  His 
commission  was  Divine,  and  he  cared  more  to  please 
his  Master  than  to  achieve  a  finished  literary  style,  in 
order  to  gain  the  applause  of  men.  But  he  improved 
rapidly.  From  the  beginning  he  took  great  pains  to 
educate  himself,  and  certainly  attained  a  very  high 
degree  of  literary  knowledge.  It  must  not  be  sup- 
posed that  Bishop  Seybert  undervalued  education. 
On  the  contrary,  he  was  a  widely  read,  versatile  and 
a  highly  self-educated  man. 

The  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  of  grace  was  upon  him. 
In  a  few  years  he  attained  eloquence  of  speech,  and 
soon  became  renowned  as  a  man  mighty  in  the 
Scriptures.  He  could  have  adopted  Isaiah's  words  : 
"The  Lord  God  hath  given  me  the  tongue  of  the 
learned,  that  I  should  know  how  to  speak  a  word  in 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


33 


season  to  him  that  is  weary."  He  has  seldom  been 
excelled  in  the  facility  with  which  he  learned  to  ex- 
plain and  defend  the  great  doctrines  of  salvation.  In 
a  short  time  he  had  acquired  the  reputation  of  being 
deeply  learned  in  divinity.  However,  he  sought 
more  to  speak  in  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and 
of  power,  than  in  the  wisdom  of  men.  As  a  result, 
opponents  were  never  able  to  withstand  him.  Their 
classical  learning  availed  them  nothing.  Already  in 
his  first  years  he  vanquished  hardened  and  embittered 
opposers,  so  that  they  fled  tremblingly  and  confused, 
or  fell  smitten  down  by  the  power  of  God.  God  him- 
self had  equipped  him  by  nature,  as  well  as  by  graces 
and  gifts  of  the  Spirit.  To  this  he  added  stores  of 
knowledge  and  strength  of  intellect  by  close  applica- 
tion to  the  study  of  all  the  sources  of  information  to 
which  he  could  obtain  access,  especially  the  Holy 
Bible. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-nine  years,  ten  years  after 
his  conversion,  John  Seybert  started  out  as  an  Evan- 
gelical itinerant.  From  that  day  to  the  end  of  his 
life,  he  was  prominently  and  actively  identified  with 
the  conflicts  and  triumphs,  the  labors  and  successes, 
the  sufferings  and  joys  of  the  church  in  whose  service 
he  was  engaged.  He  saw  the  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion enjoy  a  period  of  wonderful  growth  in  his  life- 
time, and  himself  performed  no  small  part  of  the  work 
which  led  to  that  success.  When  he  first  joined  the 
Evangelical  Association,  it  had  about  four  hundred 
members,  seven  itinerant  preachers,  and  ten  local 
preachers  ;  when  he  entered  the  ministry,  the  church 


34  Life  and  Labors  of  fohn  Seybert. 


had  not  quite  two  thousand  members,  twenty  itinerant 
and  forty  local  preachers  ;  when  he  died,  it  had  forty 
thousand  members,  and  five  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
itinerant  and  local  preachers. 

Concerning  the  important  step  of  entering  the  min- 
istry, he  writes  in  his  Journal  as  follows: 

;'I  started  out  as  an  itinerant,  September  12,  1820, 
and  at  first  served  in  stead  of  Rev.  John  Klinefelter, 
who  was  sick  at  that  time.  The  second  day  I  felt 
greatly  encouraged,  and  fully  determined,  if  it  be 
God's  will,  to  labor  in  His  vineyard  with  my  Evan- 
gelical brethren.  I  should  have  gone  sooner,  had  I 
been  certain  that  the  Lord  wanted  me  to  go.  How- 
ever, I  had  no  rest  at  my  cooperage,  and  concluded 
that  the  only  way  to  get  into  the  clear,  concerning 
this  matter,  was  to  make  an  effort.  If  the  Lord  blesses 
my  labor  with  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  sin- 
ners, and  the  edification  and  encouragement  of  saints, 
I  determined  I  would  serve  Him  in  this  way  with  all 
my  ability,  wherever  I  might  have  to  go,  whatever 
crosses  I  might  have  to  bear,  and  however  long  the 
task  might  last. 

"  With  this  sentiment  I  set  out  for  my  first  appoint- 
ment. I  had  laid  aside  my  worldly  affairs,  was  sound 
in  mind  and  body,  and  had  but  one  desire,  and  that 
was,  to  do  whatever  God  required  of  me.  The  third 
night  after  leaving  home,  I  had  a  remarkable  dream. 
I  thought  I  was  in  my  brother's  meadow  at  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  and  saw  springs  of  water  flowing  from  the  south, 
and  turning  their  streams  toward  the  east.  I  then 
went  under  an  overhanging  rock  that  is  in  this  mead- 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


35 


ow,  and  saw  other  springs  of  water,  one  of  which  was 
much  stronger  than  the  rest,  and  had  exceedingly 
sparkling  water  —  indeed  it  seemed  to  be  literally 
'living  water'! — I  felt  greatly  strengthened  by  this 
dream,  but  had  a  terrible  conflict  with  the  devil  next 
day.  A  few  evenings  later  I  dreamed  I  was  preach- 
ing, and  that  a  sinner  was  converted  under  the  sermon." 

Though  he  gives  no  explanation  of  these  dreams, 
he  evidently  regarded  them  as  omens  of  goud.  He 
afterwards  became  quite  an  adept  in  interpreting  his 
dreams,  and  certainly  experienced  some  remarkable 
realizations  of  his  premonitions. 

About  a  week  after  this,  Bro.  Seybert  had  a  re- 
markable time.  At  this  time  he  felt  with  peculiar 
weight  his  unfitness  for  the  work,  and  endured  a 
severe  temptation.  That  evening,  notwithstanding 
his  miserable  state  of  mind,  he  was  to  preach. 
The  congregation  gathered,  and  he  took  Rom.  2:  4,  5, 
for  his  text,  and  began  to  speak.  Then  he  realized 
the  truth  of  the  saying:  "My  strength  is  made  perfect 
in  weakness."  God  blessed  him  so  that  he  was  able 
to  preach  with  great  unction  and  much  feeling.  A 
sick  woman  in  the  house,  during  the  closing  prayer 
began  to  cry  out  in  terror,  "Lost!  lost!  lost!"  and 
entreated  the  company  to  pray  for  her.  Her  very 
weakness  lent  pathos  to  her  touching  appeal,  and 
every  one  in  the  congregation  fell  to  weeping.  She 
was  soon  converted,  and  after  that  lived  for  God. 

From  the  time  of  his  entrance  upon  the  public  ser- 
vice of  the  church,  he  kept  a  journal,  in  which  his  per- 
sonal experiences  are  related  in  very  simple  language. 


36 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


His  style  of  composition  was  a  copy  of  himself  —  sim- 
ple, direct,  inornate  and  quaint.  We  only  regret  that 
extracts  from  the  journal  must  necessarily  lose  much 
of  their  original  flavor  and  idiom  in  the  translation. 
In  the  original  it  fairly  "holds  the  mirror  up  to  nature." 
This  journal  is  the  principal  source  of  information  in 
many  particulars,  and  we  shall  follow  its  guidance. 

On  the  way  to  an  appointment  at  Bro.  Lehn's,  he 
was  obliged  to  stop  in  the  city  of  Lancaster,  to  dis- 
pose of  some  temporal  business  matters  which,  he 
complains,  caused  him  much  distraction  of  mind. 
That  evening  his  text  was  Eph.  5:  14.  He  remarks: 
"I  felt  wonderfully  weak  and  empty.  Still  the  meet- 
ing was  not  quite  without  blessing,  for  two  brethren 
exhorted  afterwards." 

Next  day  he  set  out  for  Manheim,  his  native  place, 
where  he  preached  at  sister  Krahl's.  He  says,  many 
people  ran  together,  some  of  whom  "behaved  very 
badly,  yea  worse  than  brutish — devilish.  Preaching 
was  very  difficult  under  such  circumstances.  Every- 
thing was  fearfully  dark  and  locked  up.  Fortun- 
ately there  was  present  a  talented  young  preacher, 
a  stranger,  who  followed  with  a  powerful  exhortation, 
so  that  Israel  got  the  victory  anyway." 

From  here  he  went  to  Bro.  Breidenstein's,  where 
he  met  the  brethren  Zimmerman  and  Peters.  The 
former  preached,  the  latter  exhorted,  and  Seybert 
closed  the  meeting.  The  meeting  was  blessed.  Then 
he  remarks  :  "  Saturday,  30th,  my  meeting  was  at  Bro. 
Eby's.  Here  God  had  mercy  on  me  once  more  and 
blessed  me.    Praise  the  Lord!" 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


37 


October  ist,  he  preached  at  J.  Walter's,  from  St. 
John,  i !  ii,  12.  At  this  place  there  were  many  people, 
and  preaching  "went  hard".  But  the  Lord  refreshed 
the  people  from  another  source. 

Monday  he  preached  from  Rev.  3:  20,  to  eight  at- 
tentive auditors,  one  of  whom  fell  into  great  distress 
of  soul.  She  was  so  wrought  upon  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  she  wept  aloud,  and  began  to  pray.  This 
gave  Seybert  courage  to  go  on  in  the  work. 

On  Tuesday  his  appointment  was  at  Bro.  Stroh's. 
During  the  day  he  felt  sad  and  depressed  in  spirit. 
With  this  feelingf  he  went  into  a  wood;  as  he  himself 
tells  us,  fell  down  upon  his  knees,  and  made  his  com- 
plaint unto  God,  entreating  His  help  in  this  time  of 
need,  and,  he  adds:  "the  Lord  heard  me.  In  the 
evening  preaching  went  well,  beyond  all  expectation 
in  fact.  It  was  a  glorious  time.  The  Lord  be  praised 
forever  !  Next  evening,  however,  I  felt  empty  and 
forsaken  again,  and  it  was  hard  to  preach.  And  then, 
to  make  the  matter  worse,  two  very  large  dogs  came 
into  the  assembly,  and  began  to  fight  most  savagely 
right  in  the  midst  of  the  congregation  of  worshippers." 
It  is  easy  to  imagine  what  disturbance  such  an  inci- 
dent would  occasion,  under  such  circumstances. 

Mr.  Seybert  then  gives  a  characteristic  account  of 
a  "big  meeting",  which  was  held  Oct.  6th,  near  Wash- 
ington, Pa.,  as  follows  : 

"Bro.  Zimmerman  preached  the  word  with  life  and 
power ;  Bro.  Barber  also  spoke  with  great  unction. 
The  preaching  of  these  brethren  was  not  like  that  of 
the  pharisaical  hypocrites  and  of  the  college  fledg- 


38 


Life  a7td  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


lings,  who  filled  most  of  the  pulpits  of  the  day.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  gates  of  hell  must  tremble.  On 
Saturday  night  we  had  a  glorious  time  ;  some  struggled 
for  liberty,  while  others  leaped  for  joy  and  shouted 
victory.  Sunday  morning  at  eight  o'clock  there  was 
an  experience  meeting,  during  which  the  excellent 
experiences,  related  by  the  people  of  God,  so  moved 
the  unconverted  that  they  wept  freely  and  became 
penitent.  Then  followed  a  sermon  by  Bro.  Erb,  on 
"leprosy",  which  occasioned  much  sobbing  and  weep- 
ing even  among  the  votaries  of  fashion,  who  had 
ornamented  their  necks  with  'ruffles'.  In  the  after- 
noon the  power  of  God  came  upon  the  people  in  a 
still  more  wonderful  manner.  Many  were  moved  to 
repentance,  among  others  a  little  girl  of  ten  years 
began  to  pray  most  piteously  for  mercy,  and  ceased 
not  until  she  had  entered  in  at  the  strait  gate.  There 
was  great  rejoicing  in  Israel  over  this  affecting  inci- 
dent. The  holy  fire  was  still  aglow  on  Monday 
morning,  breaking  out  afresh  during  family  prayers  at 
Bro.  Herr's.  I  know  of  at  least  six  persons  who  were 
converted  at  that  meeting,  and  several  others  con- 
tinued earnestly  to  seek  the  Lord  after  the  meeting 
closed.  One  family  in  particular  experienced  a  won- 
derful change.  First  the  mother  was  converted,  then 
a  son-in-law,  at  a  camp-meeting  which  he  ventured  to 
attend  ;  soon  afterwards  his  wife  yielded  ;  upon  this  a 
son  became  concerned  for  his  soul ;  then  the  rest  of 
the  children,  and  last  of  all  the  father  was  also  saved 
— all  in  about  two  months." 

On  the  fifteenth  of  October  Mr.  Seybert,  while  orn 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


39 


a  journey,  was  caught  in  a  cold  rain.  It  rained  so  long 
and  so  hard  that  he  was  completely  drenched,  even 
his  shoes  filled  with  water.  It  should  be  explained 
that  he  never  wore  boots,  and  always  rode  on  horse- 
back, until  age  compelled  him  to  change  to  a  more 
comfortable  mode  of  travel. —  But  he  declares  this  ex- 
perience did  not  in  the  least  discourage  him.  He 
went  about  his  Master's  business  in  all  kinds  of 
weather. 

Here  Mr.  Seybert  also  makes  note  of  the  suicide  of 
a  wealthy  cattle-dealer,  which  occurred  about  that 
time  in  Lancaster,  Pa.  Commenting  on  it  he  ex- 
claims :  "This  man  was  a  poor  wretch,  and  ended  his 
own  life  in  terror,  though  he  had  two  thousand  dollars 
in  his  pocket !  " 

At  a  certain  meeting,  Nov.  15th,  a  great  commotion 
was  caused  by  a  sister  who,  after  the  service  had 
closed,  made  a  wonderfully  pathetic  appeal  to  the 
unconverted.  She  wept  so  exceedingly  in  her  agony 
for  souls,  that  she  might  well  be  called  a  sister  of  the 
prophet  Jeremiah  of  old,  who  once  exclaimed:  "Oh, 
that  my  head  were  waters,  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain 
of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night  for  the 
slain  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  !" 

During  the  early  part  of  his  ministerial  career,  Sey- 
bert had  many  tribulations  to  endure.  Like  all  God's 
saints  he  had  to  be  tried  as  by  fire.  Neither  did  he 
overcome  the  sinfulness  of  his  nature  without  severe 
struggles.  Scattered  through  his  journal,  such  sen- 
tences as  these  afford  some  glimpses  of  his  inner  life: 

"  To-day  Satan  tried  me  sorely.    I  realized  strong 


40 


Life  a?id  Labors  of  yohn  Seybert. 


feelings  of  envy  and  anger  within  me,  which  pained 
me  deeply." 
Again  : 

"This  was  for  me  a  hard  day.  My  temptations 
were  of  such  weight  and  force,  as  to  be  well-nigh  un- 
endurable. It  seemed  as  though  all  the  pollution  of 
the  pit  of  hell  was  being  poured  over  my  poor  soul." 

Again  he  says  : 

"  To-day  my  wanderings  were  again  full  of  sadness, 
I  was  troubled  all  day  with  uprisings  of  anger  and  of 
impatience.    This  was  miserable  company." 

During  this  year  (1820)  he  experienced  his  last 
difficulty  with  the  Harmonites,  who  had  so  unfortu- 
nately victimized  his  mother.  Upon  certain  grounds 
which  do  not  appear,  Mrs.  Seybert  laid  claim  to  part 
of  the  estate  of  her  late  husband,  and  sent  several 
members  of  the  society  to  negotiate  with  her  sons. 
The  younger  son  emphatically  objected  to  giving  her 
a  single  cent.  The  elder,  however,  desirous  of  peace, 
and  anxious  to  have  done  with  this  disagreeable  affair 
forever,  was  disposed  to  give  their  mother  more  even 
than  he  felt  it  really  his  duty  to  allow  her.  His  wish 
finally  prevailed,  and  a  sum  of  money  was  accordingly 
given  the  Harmonites,  who  had  all  things  in  common, 
and  the  account  finally  closed. 

Through  December  of  that  year,  Mr.  Seybert  re- 
ports "  good  times."  He  enjoyed  bodily  health,  was 
in  good  spirits,  and  had  great  delight  in  the  Lord's 
service.  Of  a  sermon  which  he  preached  on  the  14th, 
he  has  this  to  say  : 

"  At  the  beginning  my  heart  was  fearful  and  diffi- 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry, 


4i 


dent.  But,  blessed  be  the  Lord,  the  man-fearing 
spirit  soon  left  me,  and  I  began  to  realize  a  deep  con- 
cern for  my  hearers.  Eternity  in  all  its  vast  sweep 
opened  to  my  view,  and  it  was  as  if  I  saw  heaven 
opened,  and  caught  glimpses  of  its  ineffable  blessed- 
ness and  glory.  The  vision  thrilled  me  with  unspeak- 
able rapture,  so  that  I  felt  moved  to  praise  the  Lord 
with  shouts  of  joy.  The  people  of  God,  full  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  shouted  God's  praises.  The  dark  power 
of  Satan  was  broken,  and  Israel  had  a  glorious  vic- 
tory." 

On  one  of  these  days  he  attended  a  specially  power- 
ful experience  meeting.  A  class-leader  complained 
at  this  meeting  that  something  was  yet  lacking  in 
him;  in  fact,  he  confessed  that  he  did  not  have  religion 
enough.  Seybert  encouraged  him  to  seek  that  which 
was  lacking  in  his  spiritual  condition,  immediately. 
This,  the  brother  at  once  resolved  to  do,  and  that 
with  fasting  and  prayer.  Then  the  grace  of  God 
poured  like  a  river  into  his  soul  until  he  was  so  filled 
that  for  a  time  he  was  unconscious,  or,  rather,  en- 
tranced, while  the  rest  of  the  company  were  so  filled 
with  the  love  of  God,  that  they  gave  vent  to  their 
emotions  with  shouts  and  jubilations.  There  were 
also  some  '  dry  bones '  in  the  congregation,  which 
were  stirred  by  the  mighty  movings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  began,  as  it  were,  to  gasp  for  life.  One 
sister  was  so  inspired  with  zeal,  that  afterwards  wTith 
fastings  and  prayer  she  struggled  against  Satan  for 
days,  and  obtained  so  grand  a  victory  that,  under  the 
powerful  effusion  of  God's  Spirit,  she  lay  entranced 


42 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


for  thirty-two  hours,  and  awoke  feeling  unspeakably 
happy. 

Such  occurrences  were  frequent  in  those  days 
among  God's  really  spiritual  people.  The  contrast 
between  God's  true  people,  and  the  dead,  cold,  heart- 
less, spiritless  formalism  which  prevailed  in  the  old 
churches,  was  on  this  account  the  more  marked  and 
convincing,  especially  when  these  demonstrations 
were  followed  by  purity  of  life  and  rectitude  of  moral 
character.  These  peculiar  demonstrations  and  mani- 
festations were  unmistakably  the  work  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  and  were  adapted  to  the  social  and  religious 
condition  of  the  times  in  which  they  occurred.  They 
had  a  convincing  effect  upon  the  thoughtful  as  well  as 
upon  the  thoughtless,  proved  the  supernatural  char- 
acter of  true  religion,  and  were  the  means  of  many 
conversions.  The  general  spiritual  apathy  was  so 
great,  especially  in  those  circles  among  whom  the 
Evangelical  Association  was  called  upon  to  labor ; 
the  belief  in  experimental  religion  and  spiritual  life 
had  become  so  nearly  crushed  and  obliterated  by  the 
semi-rationalism  imported  by  the  clergy  from  the 
universities  of  Germany ;  the  standard  of  morality 
was  so  low  among  the  masses  of  nominal  Christians, 
that,  unless  the  work  of  reformation,  in  which  the 
Evangelical  Association  was  engaged,  and  to  which 
she  was  undoubtedly  called,  had  been  accompanied 
by  such  mighty  demonstrations  of  the  Spirit  and  of 
power,  as  would  brush  away  the  scales  from  the  eyes 
of  deluded  thousands,  and  stir  as  with  an  earthquake 
of  moral  power  the  public  religious  consciousness,  the 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


43 


effort  must  be  futile  and  abortive.  Such  a  work,  a 
work  namely  of  reformation  for  the  restoration  of 
Spiritual  life,  was  and  is  the  mission  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Association,  and  in  the  providence  of  God, 
Jacob  Albright  was  the  Luther  of  German  religious 
life  in  America.  God  makes  no  mistakes,  and  these, 
to  our  times  peculiar  manifestations,  that  developed 
in  the  earlier  stages  of  that  religious  awakening  which 
was  the  result  of  the  preaching  and  labors  of  the 
Evangelical  ministry,  need  no  apology. 

After  Bro.  Klinefelter  had  recovered  from  his  sick- 
ness, and  was  again  able  to  fill  his  own  appointments, 
Seybert,  at  the  beginning  of  1821,  was  sent  to  York 
circuit  with  Bro.  Barber.  His  first  sermon  was  on  the 
occasion  of  a  watch-night,  Jan.  12th.  Such  all-night 
meetings  were  often  held,  and  not  only  on  New 
Year's  eve.  He  preached  from  Rev.  22:  17.  This 
was  a  favorite  text  of  his  throughout  his  life.  Bro. 
Seybert  describes  the  service  as  follows  : 

"  I  was  still  in  the  first  part  of  my  discourse,  and 
had  just  been  speaking  of  how  God  calls  sinners  to 
repentance  by  his  Spirit,  and  was  explaining  that  the 
'  bride',  spoken  of  in  the  text,  meant  God's  true 
Church,  and  was  showing  how  the  Church  says  '  come', 
when  a  woman  in  the  congregation  suddenly  began 
to  cry  out,  Lost  !  Lost  !  Lost  !  and  instantly  fell  to 
weeping  and  praying  aloud.  Now  that  another 
preacher,  namely  Jesus,  had  begun  to  preach,  I 
stopped  ;  and,  since  two  more  souls  began  to  cry  for 
mercy,  we  at  once  prayed  with  these  penitents. 
Before  the  meeting  closed,  all  three  were  saved." 


44  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


This  was  the  beginning  of  a  work  of  grace  in 
which  forty  souls  were  brought  into  the  marvellous 
light  and  liberty  of  the  people  of  God.  This  was  a 
great  encouragement  to  the  young  preacher,  and 
from  that  time  on,  Seybert  was  satisfied  that  his  call 
to  the  ministry  was  genuine. 

Feb.  ioth,  he  had  a  meeting  at  Mr.  Reber's,  where 
the  people  were  fearfully  wicked.  They  behaved  in 
a  most  heathenish  manner,  talking  aloud  and  laughing 
in  the  preacher's  face,  and  carousing  about  the  house. 
These  people  certainly  served  their  father — the  devil, 
with  all  their  might ;  but  Seybert  says  he  also 
preached  to  them  with  all  his  might,  concerning  the 
awful  damnation  of  the  wicked,  taking  a  German 
hymn  for  a  text.  However,  they  closed  the  service 
early,  and  all  became  quiet  as  though  all  were  over. 
In  this  way  they  got  rid  of  the  mob  about  midnight. 
Thinking  that  the  meeting  was  closed,  the  rabble 
left  with  horrible  roarings  and  shameful  bellowings. 
After  the  mob  was  gone,  they  engaged  in  further 
exercises,  and  the  Lord  blessed  them  so  gloriously 
that  the  meeting  ended  with  a  shout.  This  was 
"  stealing  a  march "  on  the  devil.  The  stratagem 
succeeded,  the  servants  of  Satan  were  foiled,  and 
God's  people  had  a  feast  of  fat  things  besides,  even 
though  they  had  to  wait  until  after  midnight  for  it. 
In  those  days,  however,  the  people  were  not  as 
anxious  to  have  short  services  and  an  early  close,  as 
many  are  in  more  modern  times.  It  was  not  unusual 
to  keep  up  services  all  night,  even  until  at  the  break 
of  day  the  rising  sun  gave  the  flaming  signal  for  part- 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


45 


ing.  Many  instances  of  this  are  recorded  in  Bishop 
Seybert's  journal. 

Bro.  Seybert  loved  to  have  conversions  during  his 
meetings,  and  took  great  delight  in  seeing  them  "get 
through 

At  a  meeting,  Feb.  14th,  a  woman  was  so  mightily 
wrought  upon  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  during 
preaching,  that  she  came  near  fainting  away.  She 
fled  to  an  adjoining  room,  threw  herself  on  a  bed, 
and  would  not  permit  the  arrow  of  conviction  to  enter 
her  soul  deeper.  She  resisted  the  grace  of  God. 
Seybert  remarks:  "This  fish,  though  already  caught 
in  the  Gospel  net,  and  even  already  pulled  ashore, 
yet  fell  back,  I  fear,  into  destruction.  Still,  she  is  cer- 
tainly severely  wounded,  and  at  least  a  few  arrows 
of  conviction  are  fast  in  that  soul,  and  for  this  reason 
I  am  not  without  hope  that  on  some  future  occasion, 
if  the  Lord  spares  her  life,  she  may  yet  be  rescued. 
I  pray  God  to  give  this  woman  no  rest  until  she  turns 
unto  Him." 

Bro.  Seybert  was  at  this  time  greatly  encouraged, 
because  his  labor  was  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  Sin- 
ners were  being  saved.  This  only  increased  his 
earnestness.  His  soul  was  eager  to  wrest  spoil  from 
Satan.  This  was  the  passion  that  nerved  him  for  toil, 
and  moved  his  soul  with  deep  agonies.  Like  Rachel 
of  old,  his  cry  was,  "Give  me  children,  or  I  die."  He 
would  quickly  have  resigned  his  office  as  a  minister  of 
the  Gospel,  had  not  the  Lord  given  him  spiritual  sons 
and  daughters.  However,  the  success  of  the  work 
provoked  great  opposition  from  certain  quarters. 


46  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


Under  date  of  Feb.  21st,  18 21,  he  writes: 

"While  the  work  of  conversion  in  this  benighted 
community  is  progressing  irresistibly,  and  a  soul  is 
being  saved  here  and  another  there,  Satan  also  has 
his  emissaries  abroad.  These  are  Protestant  clergy, — 
hirelings, — men  whose  god  is  their  belly — whom  he 
has  stirred  up  to  oppose  the  work  of  the  Lord.  They 
are  wolves  in  sheep's-clothing,  and  in  their  rage  the 
wolf  nature  very  clearly  appears.  They  set  up  a  fear- 
ful howl,  because  we  (whom  they  call  false  prophets) 
have  invaded  the  land  to  deceive  the  people."  Won- 
der why  they  have  suddenly  become  so  concerned 
for  the  souls  of  the  people!  But  they  care  not  for  the 
sheep,  only  for  their  wool.  These  are  the  very 
scoundrels  of  whom  Isaiah  says:  '  His  watchmen 
are  blind;  they  are  all  ignorant;  they  are  all  dumb 
dogs,  they  can  not  bark;  sleeping,  lying  down,  loving 
to  slumber.  Yea,  they  are  greedy  dogs  which  can 
never  have  enough,  and  they  are  shepherds  that  can 
not  understand:  they  all  look  to  their  own  way, 
every  one  for  his  gain,  from  his  quarter.  They  say, 
*  Come  ye,  I  will  fetch  wine,  and  we  will  fill  ourselves 
with  strong  drink;  and  to-morrow  shall  be  as  this 
day,  and  more  abundant.'    (Isa.  56:  10,  12.) 

"Accursed  generation  of  Balaam !  And  these  delect- 
able gentlemen  warn  the  public  against  us,  when  we 
are  endeavoring  to  rescue  souls  from  the  Devil,  and 
are  trying  to  bring  them  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
in  order  to  save  them  from  their  horrible  vices! 

M  But  the  vulvar  mob,  which  interferes  with  our 
services,  belongs  to  these  accursed  shepherds,  and  is 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


47 


led  on  by  them.  Though  consisting  nominally  of 
Christians,  they  are  adepts  at  profanity,  and  lying, 
habitual  drunkards,  bold  sabbath-breakers,  and  in 
every  respect  perfect  disciples  of  Satan,  following 
closely  in  his  footsteps,  and  sometimes  even  growing 
impatient  because  the  fiend  himself  does  not  go  fast 
and  far  enough.  They  fairly  out-devil  the  Devil  I 
With  their  preachers,  who  are  ungodly  belly-servants, 
they  oppose  those  who  want  to  serve  the  Lord. 
They  set  themselves,  and  these  rulers  take  counsel 
together  against  the  Lord  and  against  his  Anointed. 
But  'He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  shall  laugh;  the 
Lord  shall  have  them  in  derision;  He  will  mock  at 
their  calamity;  He  will  laugh  when  their  fear  cometh/ 
Meanwhile  His  work  goes  gloriously  on.  Hallelujah! 

"  But  this  is  not  enough.  After  the  people  have 
been  saved,  this  Christian  (?)  mob  does  all  in  its 
power  to  recapture  the  escaped  birds,  for  which  they 
employ  all  sorts  of  means.  One  tempts  them  with 
the  brandy  bottle  ;  another  comes  with  a  deck  of 
cards  ;  another  invites  them  to  a  dance,  and  so  on„ 
almost  ad  infinitum.  If  by  any  means  they  are  suc- 
cessful in  luring  any  one  away  again  from  Christ,  this 
Philistine  brood  tear  their  mouths  open  and  fairly 
scream  with  delight.  'O  yes!'  they  exclaim  vaunt- 
ingly,  'didn't  we  tell  you  they  are  all  hypocrites?' 
The  outcry  becomes  general ;  young  and  old,  poor 
and  rich,  great  and  small — in  short  all  sorts  of  sin- 
cripples,  pastors  included,  join  in  the  chorus,  'Our 
prediction  has  come  true:  this  movement  will  soon 
collapse;  before  long  you  can  pen  all  the  Albrights 


48  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


together  in  a  corn-crib.  Perhaps  some  lying  old  wise 
acre  among  them  will  yet  add  his  opinion,  saying,  '  I 
for  my  part  never  could  have  any  confidence  in  these 
praying  people! ' 

''They  are  very  much  opposed  to  our  'evening 
meetings '  and  to  all  that  they  are  pleased  to  call 
religion  enthusiasm.  But  when  they  hold  'evening 
meetings'  at  the  beer  saloon  or  in  the  ball  room  — 
that  is  perfectly  justifiable. 

"  According  to  their  notion,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
say  that  John  was  a  little  tipsy  on  election  day,  to 
prove  that  he  is  '  all  right  again  '.  That  is  a  demon- 
stration that  he  has  been  '  restored '  and  has  left  the 
'Albrights  \ —  Elizabeth  was  not  at  the  meeting  last 
Sunday,  because  she  had  been  at  the  ball  all  night 
Saturday.  That  shows  that  she  is  no  longer  among 
the  'deceivers  The  leader  cries  out,  '  That  will  do 
for  Elizabeth,  but  these  Albrights  wont  go  to  dances.' 
To  this  mob,  the  only  proof  necessary  thatepersons 
are  '  all  right is  that  they  swear  and  drink  and  dance 
and  fight. —  But  this  is  enough  for  us  too.  We  also 
understand  these  signs.  Such  is  the  manner  in  this 
land  of  moral  midnight,  when  any  are  truly  converted 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

'•  After  the  mob  has  in  this  way  done  all  it  can.  it 
then  begins  to  peddle  out  innumerable  lies  concerning 
us.  One  asks  another,  whether  he  has  also  heard 
that  the  preacher  is  an  adulterer, — when  he  himself 
may  be  guilty  of  it. —  But  then  such  a  thing  does  not 
unfit  him  to  be  even  an  elder  or  a  deacon  in  his 
church.    If  he  prayed,\\o,  would  soon  be  unfit,  and 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry, 


49 


would  be  expelled.  Another,  who  has  already  been 
in  jail  for  stealing,  tells  his  associates  that  the  Gospel 
preacher  has  more  than  once  been  guilty  of  horse- 
stealing, and  is  known  at  home  only  as  '  the  ignorant 
horse  thief!  'Humph  !'  says  an  old  card-player,  'the 
whole  thing  (meaning  the  Evangelical  Association)  is 
going  down  —  faster  than  it  came  up.  Our  parson 
told  us  last  Sunday  we  should  be  careful,  may  be 
they  give  the  people  some  kind  of  poison  so  as  to 
deceive  them  the  easier  ! '  Thus  they  belie  and  slan- 
der the  true  servants  of  God.  They  carry  about  with 
them  a  perfect  'Pandora's  box'  of  filthy  epistles. — 
And  yet,  in  spite  of  all,  the  Lord's  people  are  the 
light  of  the  world  and  a  salt  to  the  earth." 

This  is  a  severe  arraignment,  but  it  is  no  exagger- 
ation. In  fact,  it  was  evidently  impossible  to  exagger- 
ate the  condition  of  things  among  the  nominal 
German  church-members  of  Pennsylvania  in  those 
days,  and  Bro.  Seybert  felt  perfectly  justified  in  his 
satirical,  vigorous  and  severe  attacks  upon  them. 
Some  of  these  localities  were  perfect  hot-beds  of 
iniquity,  and  their  parsons  strained  every  nerve  to 
prevent  the  early  success  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, for  if  the  Evangelical  Association  were 
successful  in  its  work,  their  occupation  would  soon  be 
gone,  and  they  opposed  Seybert  and  his  compeers 
much  in  the  same  spirit  and  with  the  same  motives, 
that  actuated  Demetrius  the  silversmith  and  his  fellow- 
craftsmen,  in  the  Ephesian  uproar  against  Paul.  Had 
it  not  been  for  the  prevalence  of  religious  liberty 
protected  by  civil  law,  the  Evangelical  itinerants 
4 


53 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


would  have  been  shot  from  their  horses,  or  burnt  at 
the  stake,  as  late  as  1840.  It  is  unpleasant  to  be 
obliged  to  make  such  statements,  but  we  could  not 
otherwise  be  true  to  the  facts  of  history.  Whatever 
may  be  the  moral  status  of  those  religious  organi- 
zations to-day,  we  would  fain  throw  a  covering  over 
their  past  in  this  country,  if  we  could  do  so,  and  still 
write  an  intelligent  life  of  Bishop  Seybert. 

Need  enough,  one  should  say,  for  the  preaching  of 
the  pure  Gospel  to  those  people.  The  degenerate 
condition  of  morality,  and  the  deplorable  religious  life 
of  the  German  people  of  America,  made  the  work  of 
Jacob  Albright,  and  the  organization  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Association,  an  imperative  necessity.  It 
was  this  that  inspired  the  ministry  of  that  great  and 
good  man,  and  resulted  in  the  organization  of  this 
branch  of  the  Christian  church,  which  was  not  only 
the  first  to  do  anything,  but  which  has  done  as  much 
as,  if  not  more  than  any  other  single  organization  or 
agency  for  the  religious  reformation  of  the  German 
population  of  the  United  States,  Canada,  and  even 
Europe. 

About  this  time,  Bro.  Seybert  lost  his  voice  in 
consequence  of  over-exertion.  Under  this  affliction 
he  felt  "tempted  to  labor  more  moderately."  This 
"temptation",  however,  he  soon  overcame,  and  he 
began  earnestly  to  pray  for  the  restoration  of  his 
voice.  Upon  this  he  made  an  attempt  to  preach, 
and  behold,  the  Lord  so  blessed  him  that  a  sinner 
was  convicted. 

Some  time  in  February  (182 1)  Seybert  purchased 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


51 


Godfrey  Arnold's  "Portraits  of  the  first  Christians," 
and  read  it  so  diligently  that  he  nearly  committed  the 
entire  work  to  memory,  for  he  was  a  great  and  careful 
reader. 

Soon  afterwards  he  records  this  in  his  journal : 
(i  To-day  I  had  a  dispute  with  an  unconverted  man, 
who  asserted  that  our  people  were  as  false  as  Satan 
himself.  In  vain  did  I  challenge  him  to  name  or 
point  out  a  single  drunkard,  swearer  or  Sabbath 
breaker  among  us.  I  furthermore  told  him  that  in 
his  church  no  hypocrisy  was  necessary,  since  godli- 
ness itself  was  at  a  discount  among  them.  This  he 
admitted  to  be  possibly  at  least  correct.  I  succeeded 
so  far  in  convincing  him  of  the  error  of  his  ways, 
that  he  promised  he  would  never  again  partake  of 
the  Holy  Communion  in  his  present  state  of  heart. 
He  further  confessed  that  he  was  unsaved,  and  that 
his  church  was  really  in  a  state  of  decay." 

March  4th  he  says  he  preached  to  three  hearers, 
which  was  followed  with  excellent  results,  but  up- 
braids himself,  because  at  first  the  idea  of  preaching 
to  so  small  a  congregation  was  repugnant  to  him, 
until  he  thoughtfully  considered  the  worth  of  one  im- 
mortal soul,  when  he  was  enabled  to  address  himself 
to  the  task  with  energy  and  courage. 

On  the  same  date  he  wrote  of  this  place  : 
"  Here  the  saying  of  Jesus  is  realized,  when  he 
said,  '  I  am  not  come  to  send  peace,  but  a  sword.'  A 
Roman  Catholic  lived  here,  whose  wife  and  two 
daughters  were  converted.  He  himself  was  a  drunk- 
ard, and  abused  his  wife  barbarously  after  her  conver- 


52 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


sion.  One  day  when  the  husband  was  engaged  in  the 
brutal  act  of  beating  his  wife  again,  she  began  to  praise 
the  Lord  aloud,  manifesting  great  joy  in  her  sufferings. 
The  genuineness  of  this  extrordinary  manifestation 
was  so  apparent  that  he  became  alarmed.  But,  in  an 
enraged  manner  he  turned  to  his  eldest  daughter,  and 
peremptorily  ordered  her  out  of  house  and  home,  if 
she  did  not  at  once  quit  this  'foolishness',  as  he  called 
the  true  service  of  God.  However,  she  was  ready 
for  him,  and  promptly  told  him  she  would  go  without 
being  driven  away,  which  she  immediately  proceeded 
to  do.  Upon  this  he  fell  to  beating  the  youngest 
daughter  most  unmercifully  with  the  ramrod  of  his 
gun,  until  a  splinter  struck  her  near  the  eye,  causing 
the  blood  to  flow  in  streams.  But  the  monster  pro- 
cured another  stick  and  continued  beating  the  child 
still  more,  simply  because  she  prayed!" 

About  the  time  when  Bro.  Seybert  was  to  leave 
York  circuit,  he  says  the  devil  set  some  of  his  faith- 
ful ones  at  work  to  besmirch  his  reputation,  if  possible 
ruin  his  character,  and  so  counteract,  if  not  destroy,  his 
influence  for  good.  This  they  attempted  to  do  by 
circulating"  a  series  of  scurrilous  lies  about  him.  One 
story  ran  to  the  effect  that  he  had  a  wife  near  Balti- 
more, Md.,  who  could  not  live  with  him  on  account 
of  his  quarrelsome  disposition.  Another  story  was, 
that  he  had  behaved  himself  indiscreetly  towards 
persons  of  the  other  sex,  and  that  police  detectives 
were  after  him.  This,  they  said,  was  the  reason  why 
he  wanted  to  leave  York  circuit.  This  class  of  stories 
were  circulated  with  special  alacrity,  because  Bro. 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


53 


Seybert  was  a  celibate.  He  was  never  married.  He 
says:  "  These  very  things  only  proved  that  my  call 
to  the  ministry  is  divine,  since  I  knew  they  were  false, 
and  I  was  conscious  of  living  a  life  of  chastity,  sobri- 
ety and  integrity.  I  rejoiced  that  I  was  permitted  to 
suffer  persecution  for  righteousness'  sake." 

Soon  after  this  he  deplored  the  fact  that  he  did  not 
realize  the  solemn  importance  of  eternal  things  as  he 
ought,  in  his  ministerial  office.  He  had  to  fight 
against  lethargy,  and  the  devil  seemed  determined  to 
ruin  him,  he  thought.  "  I  am  tried  by  lusts  of  the 
flesh",  he  says,  " which,  though  they  never  get  the 
victory  over  me,  yet  cause  me  much  trouble,  and  I 
have  a  strong  desire  to  be  saved  from  these  things  — 
the  sooner  the  better.  God  certainly  must  hear  my 
ardent  prayers,  and  He  will  surely  deliver  me  from 
this  buffeting  of  Satan's  messenger,  this  thorn  in 
the  flesh.  I  do  ask  the  Heavenly  Father  to  do  this 
speedily  for  the  sake  of  the  Redeemer's  bitter  suffer- 
ings.   Amen!  Amen." 

May  31,  1 82 1,  Seybert  preached  his  first  sermon  at 
a  camp-meeting.  The  meeting  was  held  at  Philip 
Breidenstein's  in  Lebanon  Co.,  Pa.  God  blessed  the 
young  preacher  and  gave  him  power  and  life,  so  that 
he  was  enabled  to  tell  the  people  the  truth  with  effect. 
Among  other  incidents  a  fashionably  dressed  young 
lady  fell  into  distress  of  soul;  she  was  so  wrought 
upon  that  she  became  disgusted  with  her  stylish  arti- 
cles of  ornament,  and  tearing  them  off,  she  fell  upon 
her  knees  and  began  to  cry  for  mercy  and  salvation. 
This  enraged  the  wicked,  so  they  made  an  attempt  to 


54  Life  and  Labors  of  jfohn  Seybert, 


get  the  poor  penitent  away  from  the  place  of  prayer, 
but  the  people  succeeded  in  preventing  this.  The 
young  lady  was  praying  in  a  tent,  and  they  prayed 
with  her  and  for  her  until  she  was  filled  with  light  and 
life  from  above,  and  was  translated  into  the  kingdom 
of  God's  dear  Son.  The  people  of  God,  who  had 
wept  with  her,  now  rejoiced  with  her. 

At  this  meeting,  Seybert  remarks,  Rev.  H.  Niebel 
preached  in  great  power,  and  with  wonderful  unction, 
for  two  hours,  and  Bro.  Erb  preached  a  sermon  of 
similar  power,  of  two  hours  and  three  quarters  in 
length. 

In  June,  1821,  John  Seybert  attended  his  first  con- 
ference session,  and  was  regularly  received  into  the 
itinerancy.  Up  to  that  time,  since  Sept.  1820,  he  had 
served  "under  the  Presiding  Elder".  He  says  they 
had  glorious  times  during  that  conference  session, 
which  convened  in  New  Berlin,  Pa.  Bro.  Seybert, 
however,  demurred  because  he  was  given  charge 
of  a  work  so  soon,  as  he  felt  himself  entirely  unfit 
for  such  a  grave  responsibility.  He  was  given 
charge  of  Union  circuit,  with  Rev.  F.  Hassler,  a 
young  probationer,  as  his  colleague,  But  since  ''the 
brethren "  had  so  ordered  it,  he  meekly  submitted, 
and  the  Lord  blessed  him. 

Soon  after  conference,  he  happened  into  a  meeting, 
where  he  did  not  like  the  preacher  very  well.  He 
says:  "The  preacher  belonged  to  that  class  who  'live 
in  kings'  houses'  (to  judge  from  the  'soft  raiment' 
which  he  wore),  rather  than  to  the  humble  followers 
of  Jesus.    He  was  dressed  like  a  worldling,  and  by 


His  Call  to  the  Ministry. 


55 


no  means  looked  as  if  he  could  4  endure  hardness  as  a 
good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ'.  In  explaining  his  text, 
he  came  near  reasoning  away  the  history  of  Creation, 
and  jumbled  together  a  wonderful  conglomeration  of 
astronomical  guesswork  and  astrological  dreamings, 
far  beyond  his  own  ability  to  comprehend,  and  much 
more  that  of  his  congregation.  It  was  indeed  a  cold 
meeting.  One  could  detect  no  life  nor  fire  in  the 
people,  and  alas!  none  flashed  from  the  preacher 
either." 

Sometime  in  July,  he  preached  twice  at  a  new  place. 
In  the  morning  he  had  good  success,  but  in  the  after- 
noon "it  went  hard".  There  was  a  large  congregation 
present,  among  whom  were  many  proud,  vain,  puffed 
up  people.  Somehow  he  had  not  the  gift  of  explain- 
ing the  Scripture  that  particular  afternoon,  and  the 
power  of  speech  itself  was  almost  gone.  There  sat 
before  him  such  a  mass  of  "children  of  darkness",  that 
their  spiritual  coldness  chilled  him  and  he  "had  a 
hard  time  breaking  the  ice".  Seeing  at  length,  that 
all  exegetical  skill  was  gone  from  him,  he  abandoned 
his  text  altogether,  and  began  to  reason  of  righteous- 
ness and  judgment  to  come.  In  this  he  persevered 
until  at  least  some  icy  hearts  began  to  melt,  and  tears 
flowed  down  some  cheeks,  then  Seybert  exclaimed, 
"Thank  God  for  victory  any  wray!" 


56 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybett. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DIVERS  EXPERIENCES. 

The  first  Bishop  of  the  Evangelical  Association  was 
now  fairly  launched  upon  his  ministerial  career.  He 
already  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his 
co-laborers,  and  had  many  seals  to  his  ministry.  He 
persevered  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  he  began.  He 
grew  in  ability,  increased  in  usefulness  and  power, 
and  if  possible  in  zeal  and  devotion.  He  was  indeed 
a  burning  and  a  shining  light.  Here  follows  the 
record  of  his  varied  experiences  as  culled  from  his 
Journals. 

Dec.  5th,  1 82 1,  he  had  a  very  remarkable  dream: 
He  thought  he  was  told  of  a  pit  that  was  very 
deep,  and  had  water  in  it.  He  was  informed  further- 
more that  several  persons  had  fallen  into  it.  With 
his  companions  he  decided  at  once  to  visit  the  spot. 
On  their  arrival  his  companions  were  afraid  to 
approach  the  pit,  as  they  were  made  aware  that  the 
earth  around  it  was  undermined,  so  that  only  a  frail, 
thin  crust  remained,  which  could  not  bear  their 
weight.  At  this  moment  a  strong  feeling  of  sym- 
pathy possessed  Seybert  for  the  unfortunate  people 
who  had  fallen  into  the  pit.  Hastily  seizing  a  stick 
of  wood,  he  began  to  knock  off  the  loose  earth  around 
it,  until  he  found  solid  ground.  He  then  obtained  a 
windlass,  of  the  kind  used  in  old-fashioned  wells,  with 
which  he  drew  two  men  and  one  woman  out  of  the 


Divers  Experiences, 


57 


pit  by  means  of  a  rope.  They  were  in  a  forlorn  and 
pitiable  plight  indeed,  for  the  pit  was  a  place  of  great 
misery.  After  this  he  beheld  the  pit  utterly  destroyed, 
and  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  a  bright  stream  of 
water  gushing  from  it.  This  dream  awakened  in  him 
confident  expectations  of  conversions. 

Bro.  Seybert  regards  the  following  incident  as 
authentic,  which  he  relates  in  his  journal.  An 
extremely  wicked  man  was  converted  to  God. 
His  name  was  Kashar.  Upon  his  conversion  his 
wife  began  to  persecute  him  terribly.  She  swore  at, 
scolded  and  blackguarded  him  shockingly.  Suddenly, 
one  morning,  she  appeared  entirely  composed  and 
peaceable.  All  who  knew  of  her  conduct  were 
amazed  at  the  transformation.  After  repeated  efforts 
to  secure  an  explanation,  she  finally  became  more 
talkative  and  told  them  the  cause.  She  related 
that  in  the  previous  night  a  form  in  gray  appeared 
before  her.  She  believed  it  was  a  spirit.  The  appa- 
rition offered  her  a  bag  full  of  gold  and  silver,  if  she 
would  only  continue  to  persecute  and  abuse  her 
husband.  This  dream  so  shocked  her,  that  she 
resolved  to  cease  from  her  shameful  conduct.  She 
soon  afterward  requested  religions  services  in  their 
house,  and  sought  the  Lord  without  delay. 

From  the  remarks  of  Bro.  Seybert,  recorded  at 
some  length  in  the  previous  chapter,  concerning  the 
parsons  and  members  of  certain  churches,  the  reader 
might  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  bigoted, 
and  of  the  opinion  that  none  were  right  except  his 
own  church.    But  this    is  far  from  the  truth.  He 


58  Life  and  Labors  of  yohn  Seybert. 


acknowledged  merit  wherever  he  chanced  to  find  it, 
nor  did  he  forbid  any  man  to  cast  out  devils  because 
he  followed  not  his  company.  He  says:  "Jan.  26th  I 
visited  a  Reformed  minister  named  Felix,  who  lived 
on  Union  circuit,  where  I  was  preaching  that  year. 
This  man  treated  me  with  the  greatest  courtesy  and 
consideration.  When  he  saw  me  coming  he  hastened 
out  to  meet  me,  without  either  his  hat  or  his  coat  on, 
and  grasped  my  hand  in  a  friendly  manner.  But  not 
knowing  at  first  who  I  was,  he  shook  my  hand  with 
great  heartiness  a  second  time  upon  learning  my  name. 
I  have  never  found  another  such  friendly,  benevolent, 
humble-looking  Protestant  preacher,  possessing  withal 
such  a  Christ-like  spirit  as  this  man.  His  dress, 
manners,  conversation  and  disposition  indicated  a 
humble,  sincere  Christian  and  true  embassador  of 
Jesus  Christ.  We  had  a  good  time  together,  exchang- 
ing our  views  on  the  great,  vital  truths  of  our  holy 
religion.  He  would  under  no  consideration  allow  me 
to  leave  before  dinner.  His  wife  also  was  exceed- 
ingly hospitable  and  accommodating.  Mr.  Felix  then 
saddled  his  horse,  and  rode  a  piece  ways  with  me,  that 
I  might  not  lose  my  way." 

One  night  he  thought  he  went  fishing,  and  also 
caught  some  fish,  but  neither  with  a  hook  nor  with  a 
net,  but  with  his  bare  hands.  Afterwards  he  thought 
he  also  captured  a  beautiful  dove,  and  then  a  very 
cross  young  bear.  His  dream  awakened  his  curiosity, 
and  expectation. 

The  next  day  he  called  upon  a  newly  awakened 
family,  on  the  way  to  his  appointment.    After  they 


Divers  Experiences. 


59 


had  conversed  a  while  on  divine  things,  he  asked  the 
brother  whether  they  would  not  unite  with  our  church. 
At  first  the  brother  thought  they  were  unworthy,  but 
the  woman  said,  44  O  yes,  let  us  do  it."  After  consid- 
eration the  man  consented.  Seybert  remarks  confi- 
dently: "  Here  I  had  now  caught  my  fish  or  my  dove, 
in  reality.  I  was  now  on  the  lookout  for  the  bear." 
For  this  he  had  not  long  to  wait.  A  few  evenings 
later  he  was  preaching  in  a  private  house,  when  some 
malicious  person  threw  a  brickbat  through  the  win- 
dow at  the  preacher  with  such  violence  and  such  well- 
directed  aim,  that  the  pieces  of  glass  flew  into  his  face. 
44  This  was  the  cross  bear,"  he  says. 

Bro.  Seybert,  as  the  reader  is  aware,  was  a  German 
by  birth,  by  training  and  by  practice.  True,  he  could 
speak  in  English,  and  even  read  and  write,  but  it  was 
in  an  exceedingly  broken  manner.  No  one  who  knew 
his  acquirements  in  this  respect,  would  for  a  moment 
suppose  that  he  would  ever  undertake  to  preach  in 
the  English  language.  But  with  him,,  souls  were 
everything  and  reputation  nothing.  He  would  at- 
tempt anything  to  save  a  soul. 

It  was  March  23d  (182 1),  that  he  undertook  to 
preach  in  English  for  the  first  time  in  his  life.  He 
had  a  congregation  almost  exclusively  English.  How 
could  he  serve  them  in  their  own  language,  much  as 
he  desired  to  do  so,  was  the  question.  After  talking 
a  while  in  German,  he  ventured  to  say  a  few  words 
in  English.  No  sooner  had  he  begun  this,  than  the 
power  of  God  came  upon  the  people,  and  the  effort 
was  as  blessed  as  it  was  stammering  and  imperfect. 


6o  Life  and  Labors  of  Jokn  Seybert. 


And  really,  it  "went"  better  than  he  imagined  it 
would.  An  English  brother  afterwards  came  up  and 
gave  him  some  money  for  salary.  He  seemed  very 
well  pleased,  and  encouraged  him.  He  thanked  God 
and  took  courage. 

May  1 2th,  in  Marietta,  he  had  a  North  American 
Indian  in  his  congregation,  which  pleased  him,  for  he 
had  often  been  told  of  the  Indian's  reverence  for  God 
and  His  house,  and  was  delighted  to  find  it  true  in 
this  case.  He  bluntly  remarks,  "A  great  many,  who 
have  all  their  religion  in  their  mouth,  could  learn 
from  this  Indian  how  to  behave  in  the  house  of 
God,  in  a  manner  becoming  a  civilized  and  enlight- 
ened race." 

May  20th  he  came  home  to  his  brother  and  preached 
to  his  neighbors  and  acquaintances  in  his  old  cooper- 
shop.  When  he  first  saw  the  people  he  felt  some- 
what diffident.  But  he  began  to  pity  their  souls,  and 
upon  this  he  "broke  through"  and  everthing  "broke 
through  wonderfully",  and  tears  flowed  freely.  He 
however,  hastened  to  praise  the  Lord  for  the  success- 
ful issue  of  the  meeting,  and  ascribed  all  to  his 
Divine  Master. 

In  June,  1822,  the  Annual  conference  met  again  in 
New  Berlin,  to  hold  its  fifteenth  session.  At  this 
time  there  was  as  yet  but  one  conference.  At  this 
session  Joseph  Long,  the  second  Bishop  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Association,  was  received  into  the  itinerancy 
on  trial,  and  John  Seybert,  the  first  Bishop,  received 
his  ordination  as  Deacon.  Bro.  Seybert  makes  the 
folio  wine  observations  on  this  event: 


Divers  Experiences. 


61 


"It  caused  me  great  depression  of  spirit  and  a 
severe  mental  struggle,  when  it  was  reported  that  I 
had  been  elected  to  the  office  of  a  Deacon.  Could  I 
have  chosen,  I  would  have  greatly  preferred  to  be  re- 
tained a  while  longer  as  a  probationer,  for  I  felt  that 
I  was  not  fit  for  anything  else.  Nevertheless  I  sub- 
mitted as  cheerfully  as  I  could  to  the  decision  of  my 
brethren,  and  will  seek  to  do  the  best  I  can  by  the 
help  of  God." 

He  was  appointed  to  Canton  circuit,  Ohio. 

On  his  trip  to  his  new  charge  in  the  West,  Bro. 
Seybert  attended  a  camp-meeting  in  Fayette  Co.,  Pa., 
where  a  very  sad  event  occurred.  Sunday  afternoon, 
under  deep  and  solemn  emotions  the  Lord's  Supper 
was  celebrated.  On  this  occasion  a  brother  named 
Bernd  had  been  specially  happy  in  seeing  his  own 
children  participating  in  this  great  ordinance  of  God's 
house.  At  about  five  o'clock,  while  he  was  sitting  by 
his  tent  in  quiet  and  sweet  contemplation,  he  suddenly 
fainted,  and  falling  into  the  arms  of  his  wife  who  was 
near  him,  he  immediately  expired,  without  being  able 
to  utter  a  word.  Eleven  of  his  children  were  on  the 
encampment  at  the  time.  The  sorrow  into  which  the 
family  were  plunged  was  indescribable,  while  the 
alarm  on  the  camp-ground  was  something  awful. 
Bernd  was  a  man  greatly  beloved  by  his  family,  and 
highly  respected  in  the  community.  The  corpse  was 
left  on  the  camp-ground,  and  prepared  in  a  tent  for 
burial.  The  funeral  services,  held  in  the  auditorium, 
were  exceedingly  solemn,  and  made  a  most  profound 
impression. 


62 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


On  Canton  circuit,  that  year,  Bro.  Seybert  labored 
with  great  success.  Many  were  converted.  He  also 
got  rid,  more  and  more  fully,  of  his  harassing  doubts 
concerning  his  call  to  the  ministry,  though  even  yet 
he  was  occasionally  troubled  with  them. 

July  19th  he  heard  a  sermon  on  Col.  3:3.  The 
first  part  of  the  sermon  was  good  enough,  but  the 
latter  part  greatly  disgusted  Seybert,  "  because  he 
discussed  matters  not  germain  to  the  subject  at  all. 
When  he  spoke  of  infant  baptism,  he  asserted  that 
not  all  who  die  in  infancy  are  saved,  and  that  mother 
Eve  would  instruct  the  innocents  in  heaven."  "Such 
trash  was  not  edifying." 

Two  days  later  he  heard  another  preacher,  who 
preached  "a  very  dry,  cold  and  powerless"  funeral 
sermon.  Indeed,  it  was  more  of  a  tirade  against 
heretics  than  anything  else,  utterly  devoid  of  any- 
thing that  could  comfort  the  afflicted  friends,  or  en- 
courage the  congregation  in  Christian  living.  The 
hearers  had  a  very  tedious  time.  "  He  is  one  of 
those  of  whom  the  Lord  complained  of  old  that  they 
'  temper  with  untempered  mortar.'" 

Under  date  of  Aug.  12th  (1822)  Bro.  Seybert  refers 
to  the  barbarous  conduct  of  the  people  about  Lan- 
caster (Fairfield  Co.),  O.,  relating  an  instance  where, 
at  a  meeting  of  United  Brethren,  a  brother  was  so 
cruelly  beaten  that  he  died  a  few  days  afterwards. 

August  15th  he  was  overtaken  by  the  darkness  of 
night  in  one  of  the  great  primitive  forests  of  Ohio. 
It  was  impossible  to  find  his  way  out  again.  At 
length,  he  found  a  log  hut  in  an  opening,  where,  for 


Divers  Experiences. 


63 


money,  he  was  shown  the  way.  It  was  his  purpose 
to  reach  his  destination,  if  it  took  all  night,  which  it 
came  very  near  doing,  for  he  arrived  very  late  in- 
deed. 

Meanwhile  his  colleague,  Bro.  Wagner,  had  already 
been  attacked  with  malarial  fever,  so  prevalent  in 
Ohio  in  those  days,  so  that  he  could  not  keep  up 
with  his  appointments,  and  on  the  25th  Seybert  him- 
self was  attacked.  But  he  stoutly  refused  to  succumb, 
lest  the  circuit  be  "neglected".  Still  it  often  became 
simply  impossible  for  him  to  reach  his  appointments. 
In  this  to  him  unwonted  experience  he  was  sorely 
tried  in  spirit,  so  that  at  times  it  seemed  as  though 
his  little  craft  [Glaubensschifflein)  should  sink  beneath 
the  troublous  waves.  He  however  wept  and  prayed 
much;  often  stopping  on  his  journey  in  the  shadowy 
depths  of  those  great  forests  to  plead  with  God, 
wrestling  until  he  was  blessed. 

Near  Lisbon,  about  this  time,  a  wicked  man  died  a 
terrible  death.  In  his  last  hours  he  blasphemed  so 
terribly,  that  it  became  impossible  for  anyone  to  re- 
main in  the  room.  In  his  despair  and  rage  the  mis- 
erable man  tore  pieces  of  plaster  from  the  wall  and 
hurled  them  at  his  poor  children,  acting  like  a  demo- 
niac. In  this  condition  he  went  into  eternity.  At 
his  funeral  the  most  barbarous  scenes  were  transacted. 
The  father  of  the  dead  man  was  so  drunken,  that  he 
was  hauled  in  the  funeral  procession  like  a  dead 
swine,  and  one  of  the  brothers  was  so  intoxicated 
that  he  was  left  at  the  house,  unable  to  go  to  the 
burial.    Though  it  must  be  confessed  that  there  was 


64 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


a  certain  savage  fitness  in  all  this,  yet,  who  can  fail  to 
shudder  while  contemplating  it.  "My  Gody"  he  ex- 
claims, "what  scenes  in  Babel!" 

Nov.  15th,  when  he  preached  at  Bro.  Rausch's,  a 
drunkard  came  into  the  service  to  create  disturbance. 
He  had  first  exchanged  clothes  with  an  4Amish'  man. 
With  this  singular  outfit  he  came  in,  causing  great 
merriment,  for  his  attire  was  really  comical.  But 
the  merriment  did  not  last  long.  "  The  almighty 
word  of  God  got  hold  of  him,"  so  to  speak,  "by  the 
nape  of  the  neck"  so  that  he  began  to  weep  violently. 
It  was  the  end  of  his  foolish  conduct.  From  that 
hour  he  was  a  different  man.  "O  that  God  would 
thus  graciously  save  every  disturber,"  Seybert  fer- 
vently prays. 

January  18th  (1823)  Bro.  Seybert  preached  a  ser- 
mon with  which  he  was,  it  seems,  very  well  pleased. 
He  says  of  it  : 

"  Last  evening  my  preaching  was  blessed."  Song 
of  Solomon  6:9  was  his  text.  He  felt  that  great 
grace  was  given  him,  and  when  he  came  to  the  words, 
'terrible  as  an  army  with  banners,  he  finally  applied 
them  to  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  to  judgment, 
when  He  shall  come  with  a  shout,  and  a  great  noise 
as  of  a  trumpet,  with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints,  and 
all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  on  the  day  that  shall 
burn  as  an  oven,  when  consuming  fire  shall  go  out 
before  him,  which  shall  destroy  all  the  wicked,  root 
and  branch, 

"  When  the  sun  is  cold, 
And  the  stars  are  old, 
And  the  leaves  of  the  Judgment  book  unfold." 


Divers  Experiences. 


65 


During  this  application  the  audience  broke  out  in 
sobbing,  weeping,  shouting  and  praising.  A  young 
lady  became  penitent,  with  whom  they  afterwards 
prayed  until  she  found  pardon  and  peace.  She  after- 
wards united  with  our  church. 

Under  date  of  Feb.  9th  he  finds  fault,  both  with 
himself  and  with  the  people.  He  mourns  over  his 
infirmities  and  imperfections  and  shortcomings.  He 
felt  a  great  lack  of  ability  to  perform  the  duties  of  his 
office  ;  while  he  was  to  preach  to  others  he  felt  him- 
self so  far  below  the  mark.  With  the  people  he  found 
fault,  because  they  praised  him  and  told  him  he  could 
preach  grand  sermons,  and  so  forth.  He  wished 
they  knew  how  poverty-stricken  and  miserable  he 
really  was,  then  they  would  no  longer  flatter  him, 
and  so  occasion  temptation  in  his  depressed  and 
feeble  state  of  soul. 

One  day  in  March  he  had  a  meeting,  where  his 
effort  seemed  specially  to  please  a  certain  pedagogue 
in  the  community.  After  the  service  had  closed  he 
sat  down  beside  Seybert  and  began  to  "sing  his  siren 
song"  to  him.  This,  Seybert  did  not  want  to  hear. 
Then  the  stranger  began  to  abuse  the  other  Christian 
denominations  of  the  neighborhood  in  a  very  indis- 
creet fashion,  which  so  angered  an  old  gentleman 
who  was  present  and  overheard  the  conversation,  that 
he  uttered  some  hard  words,  seized  his  hat  and 
hastened  to  leave  the  house.  Seybert,  however, 
hurried  after  him,  spoke  kindly  to  him,  and  tried  to 
subdue  his  passion.  Next  morning  he  returned  quite 
early,  to  see  Seybert ;  they  had  a  long,  earnest  con- 
5 


66 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


versation,  and  finally  parted  in  peace.  "This  trouble", 
says  Seybert,  "  was  occasioned  by  the  indiscreet 
school-master." 

About  the  middle  of  May  (1823),  Bro.  Seybert 
closed  his  labors  on  Canton  circuit,  Ohio,  and  after 
a  year  of  faithful  toil,  prepared  to  return  to  annual 
conference.  During-  this  conference-year  he  endured 
all  the  hardships  of  a  pioneer  circuit  rider  on  the 
frontier.  His  horse  frequently  became  saddle-galled, 
owing  to  the  long  journeys  over  the  unbroken,  muddy 
roads  of  Ohio  at  that  time.  In  fact,  his  route  often 
lay  through  trackless  forests,  where  the  paths  (not 
roads)  were  hard  to  find.  Besides,  the  intrepid  itin- 
erant was  often  sick.  But  still  he  says,  "  The  Lord 
gave  us  good  times.    Blessed  be  His  name!" 

On  his  way  home,  when  he  reached  the  eastern 
boundary  line  of  Ohio,  he  alighted  from  his  horse, 
fell  upon  his  knees,  and  devoutly  thanked  God  for 
Divine  assistance,  guidance  and  protection  on  his 
circuit  during  the  past  year.  The  soil  of  Ohio  had 
become  sacred  to  him,  and  on  that  consecrated  ground 
he  would  once  more  praise  the  Lord,  and  there  he 
would  raise  his  Ebenezer. 

That  year  in  Ohio  was  a  memorable  one.  To  fol- 
low him  in  all  his  journeys,  and  relate  all  his  expe- 
riences, would  make  a  volume  itself.  His  colleague 
was  sick  with  fever  nearly  the  entire  year,  and  Sey- 
bert had  to  work  alone  over  a  territory  nearly  as  large 
as  that  occupied  by  the  Ohio  conference  now.  Once 
we  find  him  at  a  camp-meeting  near  Lancaster,  then 
lodging  with  a  family  at  Painesville,  and  then  looking 


Divers  Experiences. 


67 


for  new  appointments  in  the  valley  of  Sugar  Creek. 
During  the  Summer  he  had  the  ague  until  he  was. 
prostrated;  the  Winter  was  unusually  severe,  and  in 
the  Spring  the  roads  were  unspeakably  hard  to  travel.. 
His  trouble  was  increased  by  the  fact  that  his  horse 
became  severely  saddle-galled.  There  was  not  a 
single  church  of  our  denomination  in  the  State  at  that, 
time.  They  preached  mostly  in  private  houses,  and 
they  were  miserable  huts,  without  stoves.  But  the 
foundations  were  being  laid  for  a  great  future.  The 
membership  of  the  circuit  increased  forty-five  during 
the  year. 

O  for  the  spirit  of  the  fathers,  to  come  upon  usr. 
their  sons!  Let  us  be  thankful  that  things  have 
changed  for  the  better;  that  the  work  is  less  exposed 
and  less  laborious;  that  salaries  are  better.  But 
under  God  we  owe  it  to  the  men  who  braved  the 
perils  of  a  new  country,  and  by  their  toil  have  caused 
the  desert  to  blossom  abundantly  with  joy  and  sing- 
ing. We  are  reaping  where  they  sowed.  Let  us. 
honor  their  courage  and  emulate  their  zeal. 

Sitting  in  his  brother's  house  at  home,  May  27th, 
Bro.  Seybert  was  talking  earnestly,  as  usual,  concern- 
ing the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  making  special 
allusion  to  the  sufferings  of  God's  people  from  of  old, 
and  to  the  self-denial  involved  in  following  Jesus, 
when  a  neighbor's  wife,  who  was  listening  with  rapt 
attention  to  his  conversation,  suddenly  became  peni- 
tent, and  interrupted  the  preacher's  conversation  with 
loud  cries  for  mercy.  Seybert  said,  "  I  guess  we 
ought  to  pray."    This  they  at  once  proceeded  to  do,. 


68  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


and  continued  till  late  in  the  night,  and  the  woman 
was  converted. 

At  the  conference  session  in  1823,  held  June  2d  in 
Shrewsberry,  York  Co.,  Pa.,  Bro.  Seybert  was  sta- 
tioned on  Schuylkill  circuit,  in  Pennsylvania.  The 
conference  session  lasted  but  three  days.  Ten 
preachers  of  the  already  small  conference  located, 
and  consequently  the  remaining  preachers  were  com- 
pelled to  take  large  fields  of  labor  without  help. 
Seybert  was  obliged  to  serve  his  extensive  circuit 
without  a  colleague.  It  had  been  served  formerly 
with  two  preachers.  Notwithstanding  the  extent  of 
his  charge,  the  indefatigable  Seybert  sought  for  new 
appointments,  and  with  this  purpose,  soon  after  con- 
ference visited  for  the  first  time  the  city  of  Philadel- 
phia. Here  he  wras  entertained  by  a  gentleman 
named  John  Mann,  at  whose  house  he  held  a  prayer- 
meeting,  the  first  evening  of  his  stay  in  the  city  of 
Brotherly  Love.  The  second  evening  he  preached 
to  them.  The  third  day  he  spent  in  visiting  from 
house  to  house,  meanwhile  getting  into  a  dispute  with 
a  couple  of  young  theological  students,  concerning 
the  sad  decay  of  the  Protestant  churches  of  the  land. 
They  also  differed  in  reference  to  the  nature  of  the 
preparation  necessary  for  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 
Seybert,  of  course,  insisted  on  the  necessity  of  a  change 
of  heart  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  while  these 
young  students  contemplated  only  literary  and  scien- 
tific education  and  intellectual  training.  That  night 
he  preached  again.  Next  day  he  left  the  city  to  fol- 
low his  regular  appointments,     This  was  the  first 


Divers  Experiences. 


69 


effort  of  the  Evangelical  Association  in  the  Quaker 
City,  where  we  now  have  a  large  and  influential 
membership,  and  a  number  of  beautiful  and  commo- 
dious church  edifices. 

In  June  he  had  an  appointment  at  a  place  bearing 
the  rather  startling  cognomen  of  "Devil's  Hole".  On 
the  way  to  this  appointment  he  was  obliged  to  stop 
at  a  tavern  along  the  road,  to  feed  his  horse,  where 
he  says  he  "encountered  the  Devil's  people  before  he 
got  to  Devil's  Hole!'  The  tavern  people  were  just  at 
dinner,  when  he  rode  up.  They  behaved  in  a  most 
frivolous  manner  at  the  dinner  table.  Seybert  sat 
down  quietly  on  the  piazza,  where  these  "sons  of 
Belial "  afterwards  began  a  flippant  conversation  with 
him.  Upon  this  he  reproved  them  for  their  wicked- 
ness in  very  plain  terms.  But  they  confidently  as- 
serted that  no  one  could  be  good,  and  that  there  are 
no  longer  any  upright  people  in  the  world.  Seybert 
relates:  "However,  I  soon  drew  my  spiritual  sword 
(the  Bible)  out  of  its  sheath  in  my  saddle-bags,  and 
began  to  assault  the  rabble  vigorously  with  it.  I  ex- 
plained to  them  what  true  religion  is.  But  there  was 
one  particularly  devilish  individual  among  them,  who 
became  so  angry  under  my  assault,  that  he  could  not 
conceal  his  irritation,  but  his  rage  was  evident  to  all. 
I,  however,  gave  them  solid  blows  in  quick  succes- 
sion, so  that  one  by  one  they  slunk  away  like  beasts 
of  prey  who  had  lost  their  spoil;  and  after  I  had  con- 
quered the  whole  swarm  I  yet  administered  an  earnest 
exhortation  to  the  landlord  and  his  family,  represent- 
ing to  them  the  temporal  and  eternal  consequences 


70        .    Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


of  such  a  life.  Before  I  left,  the  worst  one  of  the 
crowd  came  back  and  apologized  for  his  rudeness." 

On  July  1 3th  he  tells  of  a  remarkable  prayer-meeting 
at  the  house  of  Bro.  Cook,  near  McKeansburg.  As 
it  was  in  harvest,  Bro.  Cook  had  a  large  number  of 
laborers  in  his  employ,  mostly  converted  people,  who 
also  attended  the  prayer-meeting.  Bro.  Seybert  read 
a  part  of  the  1 8th  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  and  gave  an 
encouraging  exhortation  on  prayer.  He  showed  the 
true  characteristics  of  prayer  both  as  to  its  spirit  and 
its  form.  During  his  remarks  the  power  of  God 
already  became  manifested  in  the  meeting.  When 
they  began  to  sing,  after  the  exhortation  the  mani- 
festation of  the  Divine  presence  became  still  more 
glorious,  and  soon  they  experienced  such  a  mighty 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  there  was  not 
room  enough  to  receive  it.  It  was  as  if  the  flood 
gates  of  heaven  had  been  lifted.  The  South  wind 
breathed  into  the  garden  until  the  spices  thereof 
flowed  out.  There  began  an  unusual  demonstration 
of  shouting,  leaping  and  rejoicing,  and  many  of  the 
friends  seemed  quite  overwhelmed  in  the  sea  of  eter- 
nal love.  One  could  no  longer  distinguish  the  voices, 
for  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  had  been  in  accord- 
ance with  Joel's  prophecy.  Sons  and  daughters,  old 
men  and  maidens,  and  all  flesh  seemed  to  be  filled. 
So  great  was  Seybert's  enjoyment  of  this  mid-harvest 
prayer-meeting,  that  he  records  this  desire: 

"O,  I  wish  that,  during  the  remainder  of  my  earthly- 
life,  I  could  have  a  vivid  realization  of  this  wonderful 
prayer-meeting  at  least  three  times  daily!    I  know  it 


Divers  Experiences. 


71 


would  nerve  me  for  the  battle,  and  would  be  an  in- 
centive to  faithfulness  in  the  midst  of  tribulation. 
Blessed  art  Thou,  eternal  King  and  Saviour  of  the 
world,  that  through  Thy  holy  blood  Thou  hast 
triumphed  over  the  might  of  hell,  and  hast  delivered 
us  from  Satan's  power,  and  hast  pardoned  our  trans- 
gressions, and  hast  overcome  principalities  and 
powers,  and  divided  unto  us  the  spoil !  We  praise 
Thee  both  now  and  forever!  Hallelujah!" 

During  a  sermon  of  great  plainness  and  power 
about  this  time  on  Rev.  3 : 20  at  a  new  appointment, 
a  young  lady  suddenly  began  to  cry  out,  "I  am  lost! 
I  am  lost!"  Her  outcries  were  so  terrible  that  it  was 
impossible  for  Bro.  Seybert  to  continue  his  sermon. 
They  prayed  with  the  penitent  lady  until  she  was 
saved. 

At  a  certain  place  Bro.  Seybert  asked  for  permis- 
sion to  preach  in  the  school-house.  At  first  there 
was  little  objection;  but  when  the  authorities  came 
together,  they  began  to  look  upon  him  with  suspicion, 
and  promptly  declared  that  they  would  much  rather 
have  it  to  do  with  a  rabid  dog  than  with  a  'shouting 
preacher.'  Seybert  could  endure  this  very  well ;  still 
it  grieved  him  that  these  people  thus  despised 
God's  word  and  God's  servants  to  their  own  damna- 
tion. 

However,  to  repeat  all  similar  occurrences  recorded 
in  Bishop  Seybert's  journals,  would  make  this  work 
monotonous,  for  such  things  frequently  took  place. 
It  is  certainly  remarkable  that  the  efforts  of  this  plain, 
simple,  unassuming  man   w^ere  crowned  with  such 


72  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


signal  success  and  powerful  effects.  From  a  worldly 
stand-point  his  preaching  was  by  no  means  extra- 
ordinary, except  for  simplicity  and  disingenuousness. 
There  was  no  display  of  classical  lore,  nor  parade  of 
high  sounding  phrases.  There  was  no  appearance  of 
formal  theological  erudition,  for  in  that  he  had  not 
been  systematically  trained.  Nevertheless,  in  God's 
hands  he  was  mighty  to  the  pulling  down  of  strong- 
holds. Not  many  preachers  of  any  age  can  point  to 
more  signal  demonstrations  of  power  under  their 
preaching  than  occurred  under  the  preaching  of  John 
Seybert.  Few  sermons  are  interrupted  by  the  cries 
of  penitents. — Has  the  salt  lost  its  savor,  or  the  sword 
of  the  Spirit  its  edge?'  Nay,  verily,  but  those  who 
wield  the  sword  are  too  often  better  used  to  carnal 
weapons.  The  feats  of  modern  eloquence  and  pol- 
ished speech,  are  feeble,  compared  with  the  spiritual 
power  of  this  great  and  good  man.  John  Seybert 
belongs  to  the  age  of  spiritual  giants,  and,  "take  him 
for  all  in  all,  we  shall  not  look  upon  his  like  again.'* 
The  Lord  made  but  one  Seybert,  and  then  broke  the 
mold. 

On  a  certain  occasion  Bro.  Seybert  had  to  hasten 
very  much  in  order  to  reach  his  appointment  in  the 
evening,  but  arrived  late.  He  rode  directly  to  the 
church,  and  immediately  rushed  into  the  crowded 
and  expectant  congregation,  taking  with  him,  as  was 
his  custom,  his  Bible  and  hymn-book,  hastily  snatched 
out  of  the  saddle-bag.  The  sermon  proved  effective. 
Sinners  began  to  weep  and  pray,  and  several  were 
happily  converted  before  the  meeting  closed  that 


Divers  Experiences. 


73 


night.  In  his  journal  of  that  day  there  appears  the 
following  devout  acknowledgment:  "O  God,  how 
good  Thou  art  unto  Thy  servants!  For  even  when 
they  are  obliged  to  drive  '  like  the  driving  of  Jehu/ 
in  order  not  to  reach  their  appointments  too  late,  and 
therefore  have  no  time  to  prepare  themselves  to 
preach,  Thou  givest  them  on  such  occasions  that  mes- 
sage which  is  best  for  the  people,  and  also  pourest 
out  Thy  rich  blessing.  Amen." 

Malarial  fever,  which  had  given  him  so  much 
trouble  the  previous  year  in  Ohio,  again  attacked  him 
this  Fall.  Oct.  ioth  he  was  subject  to  a  very  severe 
attack  of  it,  while  riding  through  a  long  stretch  of 
woods.  Compelled  to  stop  and  lie  down,  he  un- 
saddled his  horse,  turned  him  loose,  and,  using  his 
horse-blanket  for  a  bed,  and  his  saddle  for  a  pillow, 
the  weary  itinerant  lay  down  in  excessive  feeble- 
ness. Before  doing  so,  he  tried  to  pray,  but  fainted 
in  the  attempt,  and  sank  down  on  his  improvised 
couch  utterly  exhausted,  mentally  committing  himself 
to  God's  faithful  care.  There  lay  the  zealous,  sincere, 
faithful,  ever-restless  servant  of  God,  far  from  human 
hel^»  or  sympathy,  in  the  autumnal  shadow  of  an 
ancient  wood,  under  the  canopy  of  the  sky,  in  pathetic 
and  helpless  solitude,  burning  with  fever.  He  re- 
minds one  of  Elijah,  faint  and  ready  to  die,  lying 
under  the  Juniper  tree,  save  that  he  was  more  re- 
signed than  the  prophet.  After  lying  there  for  some 
time,  the  fever  subsided  ;  he  suddenly  felt  new 
strength  and  life  thrilling  his  whole  frame,  as  if  an 
angel — one  of  those  ministering  spirits  who  are  sent 


74 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


to  minister  unto  the  heirs  of  salvation — had  come  on 
silent  wing  to  bring  him  a  Divine  strengthening. 
He  immediately  arose,  saddled  his  horse,  and  went 
on  his  way. 

During  this  conference  year,  the  historical  revival 
at  Orwigsburg  broke  out  under  the  labors  of  Bro. 
Seybert.  This  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  re- 
vivals in  the  history  of  the  Evangelical  Association, 
not  so  much  for  the  number,  but  for  the  character 
and  subsequent  usefulness  of  the  converts.  Seybert 
was  closely  identified  with  it,  and  some  of  the  most 
extraordinary  effects  that  ever  followed  his  preaching 
occurred  there. 

The  revival  began  in  the  Fall  of  1823,  when  Seybert 
served  Schuylkill  circuit,  but  it  proved  to  be  more 
than  a  merely  transient  excitement;  it  lasted  without 
serious  interruption  for  several  years.  The  way  for 
it  was  paved  by  Rev.  Adam  Kleinfelter,  who,  as  early 
as  1818,  preached  at  the  residence  of  Daniel  Focht, 
Esq.,  the  proprietor  of  extensive  iron  works  and  a 
gentleman  of  great  prominence  and  respectability. 
Mr.  Focht  was  soundly  converted,  besides  several  of 
his  neighbors.  No  sooner  had  these  few  begun 
earnestly  to  serve  the  Lord,  than  persecution  broke 
out.  Parents  persecuted  their  children,  and  children 
persecuted  their  parents.  But  the  work  could  not  be 
hindered  in  this  way,  for  it  was  a  genuine  work  of 
grace.  God  blessed  His  people  wonderfully  both  in 
secret  and  in  public,  with  the  joy  of  the  Lord  which 
was  their  strength.  Besides,  they  were  pious,  and 
led  a  chaste,  quiet,  holy  life.    Mr.  Focht  was  elected 


Divers  Experiences. 


75 


class-leader,  and  in  later  years  became  useful  in  the 
church  as  a  local  preacher. 

Seybert  preached  his  first  sermon  there  July  15th, 
soon  after  his  appointment  to  Schuylkill  circuit.  His 
text  was  Ezekiel  33:  11,  and  the  service  was  held  in 
the  Court-house,  Orwigsburg  being  at  that  time  the 
County  seat  of  Schuylkill  Co.,  Penna.  The  preacher 
was  somewhat  embarrassed  by  the  novelty  of  his 
surroundings.  August  17th  he  preached  in  a  grove 
near  the  city  from  Rom.  2 :  4-6.  His  experience  wTas 
peculiar.  For  some  reason,  he  felt  tempted  to  stand 
during  the  opening  prayer.  But,  u  breaking  through" 
as  he  called  it,  he  fell  upon  his  knees  to  pray,  and 
instantly  a  wonderful  baptism  of  power  came  upon 
him.  The  Divine  effusion  was  so  powerful,  that  Sey- 
bert afterward  asserted  his  belief  that  this  was  the 
real  beginning  of  the  Orwigsburg  revival.  The  mul- 
titude melted  down,  and  the  Word  of  the  Lord  had 
free  course  and  was  glorified.  Seybert  hereupon 
erected  a  stone  on  the  spot,  called  it  Ebenezer,  and 
with  his  own  hand  engraved  the  date  upon  it  for  a 
memorial,  a  spiritual  landmark. 

The  conversion  of  Bro.  Focht  was  the  first  breach 
in  the  wall.  He  frequently  preached  to  the  people, 
and  in  1822  obtained  permission  to  preach  in  the 
Court-house.  Many  were  awakened  in  that  Court- 
house. Rev.  J.  Breidenstein  also  preached  there.  On 
one  occasion  the  Court-house  was  closed  against  him, 
but  nothing  daunted,  he  went  to  the  School-house, 
where  many  heard  him  gladly.  "  But  as  usual",  says 
our   Church   historian,   Rev.  W.  W.  Orwig,  "the 


j6  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 

pastors  of  the  German  churches  were  his  principal 
opposers.  By  slanders  upon  his  personal  character, 
and  by  assailing  his  doctrine,  they  endeavored  to 
alienate  the  people  from  the  preacher,  and  to  shake 
the  public  confidence  in  him  ;  but  they  failed." 
Breidenstein  preached  Jesus  as  a  perfect  Saviour;  God 
blessed  His  own  Word,  and,  like  the  Bereans,  many 
began  to  search  the  Scriptures  daily  whether  these 
things  were  so.  This  was  in  1822.  Then  came  Sey- 
bert in  1823,  who  set  the  ball  rolling.  September 
14th,  after  again  preaching  in  the  Court-house,  he 
was  to  have  spoken  in  the  evening  at  a  School-house, 
some  three  miles  from  the  city.  But  it  was  closed 
against  him  at  the  instigation  of  the  parson.  A  much 
despised  citizen  now  offered  Seybert  his  house,  where 
he  preached  from  St.  John  1:11,  12.  God  wrought 
so  mightily  that  there  also  the  walls  of  Satan's  king- 
dom began  to  quake.  "This",  says  Seybert,  "was  on 
the  east  side,  whereas  that  powerful  meeting  in  the 
grove  was  on  the  west  side,  and  now  there  was  trem- 
bling in  Satan's  ranks  all  around." 

October  30th,  after  preaching  in  the  morning  at  the 
court-house,  he  visited  a  condemned  murderer  in 
prison  in  the  afternoon,  whom  he  earnestly  sought  to 
lead  to  repentance.  In  the  evening  of  that  day  he 
had  an  appointment  in  a  large  tavern  some  distance 
east  of  the  city.  He  was  greatly  concerned  for  his 
evening  service.  Accordingly,  some  time  before  ser- 
vice he  went  out  into  the  woods  on  a  mountain,  and 
spent  the  time  until  service  in  meditation  and  prayer. 
Thus  he  went  directly  from  the  lonely  mountain  sum- 


Divers  Experiences, 


7T 


mit  into  the  crowded  congregation.  His  text  was 
Acts  3:22,  23.  He  began  to  speak  with  feelings  of 
hope  and  faith  mingled  with  fear  and  trembling,  yet 
believing  that  God  would  help.  During  the  sermon 
the  power  of  God  was  manifested  in  His  word.  Sin- 
ners began  to  tremble  and  quake,  and  there  was  a 
general  inquiry,  what  to  do  to  be  saved.  Now,  as 
Seybert  used  to  say,  "  the  ice  was  broken".  The 
work  of  conversion  soon  spread,  and  the  slain  of  the 
Lord  were  so  many  that  Seybert  sent  for  Bro.  Focht 
to  assist  him.  Focht  continued  the  meeting  success- 
fully in  Seybert's  enforced  absence  on  his  extensive 
circuit.  December  7th  seven  souls  were  saved  in 
one  of  Bro.  Focht's  meetings.  In  January  (1824) 
Seybert  was  again  on  the  ground.  Three  future 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  were  soon  after  converted,  as 
young  men.  They  were  Samuel  Rickert,  and  Joseph 
M.  and  Jacob  Saylor.  A  class  was  now  organized. 
The  work  progressed  gloriously. — Some  wonderful 
meetings  were  held.  All  classes  of  persons  were 
converted,  —  "drunkards,  swearers,  card-players, 
fiddlers  and  drummers". 

May  2 1  st  Seybert  held  his  first  communion  service 
at  Orwigsburg.    He  says: 

"  I  had  glorious  times  seeing  sinners  coming  home 
to  God  in  crowds  from  all  directions.  Within  six 
months  forty  souls  were  happily  saved,  and  I  was 
enabled  to  report  to  conference  seventy-five  newly 
converted,  while  at  Orwigsburg  especially  a  good 
foundation  has  been  laid  for  the  future  work  of  the 
Evangelical  Association." 


78 


Life  and  Labors  of  fohn  Seybert, 


The  revival  continued  without  abatement  for 
several  years.  Some  of  the  most  influential  families 
of  the  denomination,  such  as  the  Orwigs  and  the 
Hammers  were  converted  here.  In  1826  a  church 
was  built,  and  the  society  has  continued  strong  and 
flourishing  ever  since. 

In  connection  with  this  revival  Bro.  Seybert  was 
the  hero  of  a  hazardous  undertaking,  in  which  he  came 
near  losing  his  life.  He  had  to  cross  the  Schuylkill 
river  near  Orwigsburg  at  a  time  when  the  river  was 
much  swollen.  He  was  warned  not  to  attempt  the 
ford.  But  he  said,  "  I  have  an  appointment  across 
the  river,  and  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  I  am  going  to 
ride  in.  The  Lord  can  help  me  through."  He  was 
on  horseback.  Getting  upon  the  saddle  with  his 
knees,  the  intrepid  circuit  rider  ventured  boldly  into 
the  mad  torrent.  The  horse  soon  got  beyond  his 
depth,  and  was  compelled  to  swim  with  his  rider  on 
his  back.  The  noble  beast,  to  the  astonishment  of 
the  spectators,  bore  him  safely  to  the  opposite  bank, 
.and  Seybert  filled  his  appointment  that  evening  in 
spite  of  storm  and  flood. 

Seybert  was  not  easily  scared.  "  I  have  an  ap- 
pointment,"— that  was  the  irresistible  argument  of  his 
conscience.  He  would  not  miss  an  appointment  if  he 
risked  his  life  to  reach  it. 

Jan.  25th  he  had  a  meeting  at  the  "Church  of  the 
Blue  Mountains ",  where  the  people  behaved  in  a 
brutal  manner,  throwing  clubs  through  the  windows 
with  such  force  that  manv  of  the  audience  were 
seriously  injured  by  the  flying  splinters  of  glass.  In 


Divers  Experiences. 


79 


fact,  the  floor  was  stained  with  blood.  This  occurred 
in  a  community  where  there  was  a  church,  and 
among-  citizens  who  boast  of  their  freedom  of  con- 

o 

science. 

Feb.  14th,  just  before  preaching,  some  one  brought 
Seybert  a  book  which  he  had  bought  a  long  time 
previous,  but  which  he  no  longer  expected  to  get. 
So  it  happened  that  he  had  not  just  then  the  neces- 
sary amount  of  money  to  pay  for  it,  which  was  one 
dollar.  This  awkward  circumstance,  however,  did  not 
embarrass  him.  He  thought,  "Well,  I  must  preach 
now,  and  afterwards  I  will  find  some  way  to  arrange 
this  matter."  After  the  service,  a  man  who  had  been 
greatly  moved  by  the  sermon  and  had  become  deeply 
interested  in  the  preacher,  crowded  his  way  through 
the  throng,  grasped  Seybert's  hand  warmly,  and 
upon  withdrawing  it,  left  a  round  dollar  in  the 
preacher's  palm.  This  was  promptly  used  to  pay  for 
the  book.  The  generous  friend,  however,  knew  noth- 
ing of  Seybert's  special  need. 

One  day  in  March  he  was  called  upon  to  baptize 
the  infant  child  of  unconverted  parents.  The  child 
was  sick  unto  death.  He  therefore  first  addressed  an 
earnest  w7ord  to  the  parents,  endeavoring  to  impress 
them  with  the  importance  of  saving  their  souls,  upon 
which  they  promised,  by  the  help  of  God  to  prepare 
for  eternity.  The  child  was  then  baptized,  and  the 
remarkable  fact  is  noted  in  the  journal  that  immedi- 
ately upon  its  baptism  the  child  suddenly  became 
well. 

Under  date  of  April  18th,  1824,  he  writes:  "The 


8o 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


people  here  in  Berks  County  are  awfully  benighted. 
They  call  themselves  church-members,  but  they  are 
unspeakably  wicked.  In  one  of  these  churches  they 
had  the  communion  of  the  Lord's  Supper  last  Friday, 
being  Good  Friday,  and  then  on  the  following  Easter 
Monday  they  had  a  big  dance,  in  a  tavern  near  the 
self  same  church.  Here  they  employed  ten  musicians, 
and  served  the  Devil  with  all  their  power,  by  swear- 
ing, drinking  and  fighting.  This  Christian  (?)  rabble 
howled  so  loudly  that  they  were  actually  heard  two 
miles  away.  These  are  the  people  who  can  not  bear 
the  least  noise,  not  even  a  stifled  sob  in  Divine  ser- 
vice. But  I  have  not  heard  that  they  thought  their 
shameful  frolic  too  noisy!    O  consistency!" 

Conference  time  again  approached,  and  Seybert 
started  on  his  way  thither.  When  crossing  the  Sus- 
quehanna bridge,  he  encountered  a  young  man  who 
was  in  great  trouble,  just  returning  from  the  Lan- 
caster Fair,  where,  he  said,  his  money  had  been 
stolen.  But  the  toll-keeper  would  not  let  him  pass 
over  the  bridge  without  paying  his  toll.  During  their 
parley  Seybert  came  up,  and,  learning  the  difficulty, 
said  to  the  youth:  "1  will  pay  your  toll  for  you,  if 
you  will  promise  me  never  to  go  to  another  Fair." 
The  young  man  replied,  "  But  I  might  have  business 
that  would  compel  me  to  go.';  u  You  can  go  where 
your  calling  takes  you,"  Seybert  explained.  "  Well, 
then,"  said  the  youth,  "  I  will  promise  never  to  go  to 
Lancaster  Fair  again."  "  You  shall  not  go  to  any" 
Seybert  insisted;  "if  you  do,  you  may  look  out  for 
yourself  how  to  get  over  the  river."     Driven  so 


Divers  Experiences. 


81 


closely,  the  youth  sincerely  promised  never  to  go  to 
another  Fair.  Seybert  thereupon  paid  the  toll,  and 
the  two  rode  together  over  the  bridge.  During  the 
ride  Seybert  took  occasion  to  point  out  more  ex- 
plicitly the  perils  to  which  the  young  expose  them- 
selves in  attending  these  County  and  State  Fairs. 
He  used  to  call  them  "The  Devil's  camp-meetings". 
And  if  he  were  living  now,  he  would  have  no  reason 
to  change  his  opinion. 

Soon  afterwards,  as  he  was  riding  along  one  day, 
a  group  of  ungodly  young  men  accosted  him  with: 
"  I  believe  you  are  a  '  strabler*  parson!"  "No  sir!" 
Seybert  replied,  as  he  stopped  his  horse  a  moment 
and  faced  the  rabble,  tC  I  was  a.  'strabler'  once;  the 
people  on  the  dancing  floor  are  the  '  strablers.  "  With 
that  sally  he  turned  his  horse  and  rode  away,  leaving 
the  rabble  to  bear  as  best  they  could  their  chagrin. 
—  This  word  '  strabler  is  a  word  belonging  to  the 
Pennsylvania  German  dialect.  It  is  untranslatable, 
and  was  applied  in  derision  to  the  early  Evangelicals, 
because  of  their  lively  demonstrations  in  religious 
service. 

Speaking  of  the  spirit  of  persecution  which 
manifested  itself  at  that  time  in  that  part  of  Penn- 
sylvania, Bro.  Seybert  relates  many  incidents,  and 
states  among  other  things  that  the  members  of  a 
certain  church  had  proposed  to  join  the  militia,  if  that 
organization  were  summoned  to  murder  the  "praying 
people",  and  then  remarks:  "These  are  some  of  the 
so-called  "good  Christians"  of  the  modern  University 
educated  preachers!"  This  shows,  furthermore,  how 
6 


82  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


the  beast  of  Rev.  13:11,  which  arises  out  of  the  earth, 
represents  certain  denominations  of  nominal  Chris- 
tians who,  like  the  dragon,  have  the  spirit  of  murder, 
and  utter  voices  of  Satanic  malice.  It  also  shows 
what  this  dragon  would  do  if  it  had  the  power,  and 
if  our  excellent  civil  government  did  not  put  a  bit 
into  its  blasphemous  mouth." 

At  Orwigsburg  he  had  trouble  with  a  sister  who 
had  set  a  bad  example.  She  had  fallen  from  grace 
through  the  practice  of  backbiting.  Seybert  threat- 
ened and  pleaded  with  her,  but  apparently  in  vain. 
"O",  he  exclaimed,  "when  will  the  earth  be  delivered 
wholly  from  this  terrible  evil." 

During  that  year  in  Schuylkill  circuit,  Seybert  had 
seventy  accessions,  and  the  membership  of  the  charge 
increased  fifty-nine,  numbering  nearly  two  hundred 
at  the  end  of  the  year.  Among  those  whom  he  re- 
ports as  newly  received,  occurs  the  name  of  Francis 
Hoffman,  who  afterwards  became  a  useful  preacher  in 
the  Evangelical  Association. 


Presiding  Elder. 


83 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ORDINATION  AGAIN.  ELECTED  PRESIDING  ELDER.  

Bishop  Seybert  was  ordained  as  an  Elder  in  the 
church,  at  the  seventeenth  session  of  the  conference, 
being  the  fourth  which  he  attended.  At  the  same 
session  of  conference,  Bishop  Joseph  Long  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  a  Deacon.  His  second  ordi- 
nation caused  Seybert  a  severe  conflict  of  soul.  He 
feared  conference  was  making"  a  mistake,  to  commit 
this  solemn  trust  to  him  so  soon.  True,  he  had 
served  the  full  length  of  time  according  to  Discipline, 
but,  he  said,  "It  is  plain  enough  that  I  am  not  worthy 
of  this  high  office."  He  earnestly  desired  to  make 
further  proof  of  his  ministry,  and  would  have  served 
joyfully  as  a  deacon  for  a  third  year.  It  was  even 
proposed  at  the  same  conference  session  to  elect  him 
to  the  office  of  a  Presiding  Elder,  which,  however,  was 
not  done. 

He  was  stationed  on  York  circuit  that  year,  with 
J.  Bixler  as  his  colleague.  This  was  the  charge  upon 
which  he  had  labored  so  successfully  during  the  first 
year  of  his  ministry.  They  had  one  day's  respite 
after  conference,  and  then  immediately  began  their 
appointments. 

One  day  in  June,  1824,  as  he  was  riding  through  a 
strange  country,  he  happened  to  meet  a  farmer,  of 
whom  he  enquired  the  way  to  his  destination.  The 


84  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

farmer  was  just  bringing  in  his  horses  from  the  field, 
but  directed  Seybert  in  a  very  civil  manner.  However, 
immediately  he  began  to  question  the  latter,  whom 
he  surmised  from  his  dress  to  be  an  Evangelical 

o 

preacher,  concerning  the  manner  of  our  public  wor- 
ship,— the  earnest  exercises — the  camp-meetings,  etc., 
expressing  promptly  his  doubts  as  to  the  Scriptural 
warrant  for  such  proceedings,  and  then  added,  with 
some  vehemence,  'And  you  also  anathematize  all 
others.'  This  brought  Seybert  from  his  horse  in  a 
hurry.  Taking  his  Bible  out  of  the  saddle-bag,  he 
began  to  substantiate  our  position  and  methods,  both 
from  the  Old  and  the  New  Testament.  As  to  loud 
praying  he  read  Psalm  50:15,  and  the  fourth  verse 
of  the  sixty-eighth  Psalm.  To  this  the  farmer 
objected,  that  it  applied  to  the  ancients  only  and  had 
no  reference  to  modern  times,  but  Seybert  told  him 
the  same  God  still  lives,  that  the  nature  of  His  work 
has  not  changed,  human  nature  is  the  same  in  all 
generations,  —  sinful  and  corrupt  and  in  danger  of 
eternal  death.  If  it  was  proper  for  the  ancients  to 
cry  aloud  whether  in  distress  or  in  joy,  then  it  is 
proper  for  us  too.  He  reminded  him  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  himself  prayed  "with  strong  crying  and  tears". 
Our  camp-meetings  he  justified  on  the  ground  of  the 
Feasts  of  Tabernacles  celebrated  among  God's  people 
of  old,  and  showed  from  St.  John  7,  that  our  Saviour 
himself  preached  at  one  of  these  Tabernacle  meetings. 
As  to  cursing  other  people,  he  said  it  simply  was  not 
true,  which  he  invited  the  farmer  to  test  to  his  own 
satisfaction,  if  he  would  attend  our  services  and  hear 


Presiding  Elder. 


85 


for  himself.  The  farmer  was  unable  to  reply,  and 
seemed  quite  overcome.  Before  riding  on,  the  faith- 
ful Seybert  sought  to  convince  him  of  the  necessity 
of  his  own  conversion,  and  they  parted  as  friends. 
Seybert  thought,  as  he  rode  away,  the  man  was  not 
far  from  the  Kingdom  of  God,  for  which  he  was  glad. 

A  few  days  later  he  heard  a  preacher  deliver  a 
funeral  discourse  from  John  3:3.  It  was  an  instruc- 
tive and  edifying  sermon.  The  preacher,  he  says, 
was  orthodox,  taught  both  the  necessity  and  the 
possibility  of  perfect  cleansing  from  all  sin  in  the 
blood  of  Christ,  and  demonstrated  that  all  who  desire 
to  enter  Heaven,  must  seek  after  holiness  with  all  their 
hearts.  Then  he  adds,  significantly,  "  He  may  have 
been  a  messenger  of  God,  but  he  lacked  one  thing: 
an  unction  from  the  Holy  One" 

In  July  of  that  year  he  wrote  of  his  experience,  as 
follows: — I  am  enjoying  a  most  delightful  and  bles- 
sed experience  after  the  inner  man.  I  am  fully  trans- 
lated into  the  marvellous  light  and  liberty  of  the 
people  of  God.  The  enemies  of  my  soul  seem  over- 
come and  driven  from  the  field,  and  the  everlasting 
arm  of  Jesus  Christ  is  around  me,  as  He  presses  me 
to  his  comforting  bosom.  I  am  therefore  enabled  to 
enjoy  my  travels,  possessing  as  I  do  a  healthy  body, 
a  contented  mind  and  a  quiet  conscience,  especially 
in  this  halcyon  period  of  the  year,  when  bright  sun- 
shine and  gentle  winds  mingle  the  perfume  of  the 
flowers  with  the  golden  glory  of  the  harvest  fields. 
My  heart  is  filled  with  peace." 

During  the  month  of  August  of  that  year,  a  "big 


86  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


meeting"  was  held  near  the  village  of  Marietta  on 
the  Susquehanna  river,  at  which  Bro.  Seybert  was 
instrumental  in  the  awakening,  among  others,  of  John 
Sensel,  a  blacksmith,  who,  after  a  profound  penitential 
experience  was  gloriously  saved.  Sensel  afterwards 
became  a  successful  minister  of  the  Gospel.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  effective  preachers  of  repentance  of 
his  time.  His  rich,  sonorous  voice  woke  many  a  sin- 
ner from  the  slumber  of  sin,  and  won  many  to  the 
feet  of  the  Crucified  One.  One  of  his  favorite  senti- 
ments was,  "Without  grace,  no  sermon."  And  indeed, 
Sensel  was  exceptionally  helpless  when  he  did  not 
realize  the  unction  of  the  Holy  One,  but  when  filled 
with  the  Spirit,  he  was  a  power.  Sometimes  the 
place  seemed  literally  shaken  when  he  preached. 
But  he  was  a  man  of  unceasing  prayer.  He  would 
rather  miss  three  meals  than  neglect  secret  devotions 
once. 

At  a  glorious  camp-meeting  in  August  (1824)  near 
Orwigsburg,  among  others,  Chas.  Hammer  and 
Richard  Rickert  were  converted,  who  afterwards  be- 
came eminently  useful  in  the  service  of  God  and  the 
church. 

One  day  in  December  Bro.  Seybert  entered  a  store 
to  purchase  some  stationary.  But  he  was  refused. 
The  proprietor  would  not  sell  any  paper  to  a  "strabler" 
preacher. 

He  frequently  makes  mention  in  his  journal  of 
specially  blessed  seasons  experienced  during  family 
worship  with  various  families.    For  instance: 

In  January,  1825,  at  Bro.  Alspaugh's,  they  were  so 


Presiding  Elder. 


87 


blessed  while  engaged  in  family  prayers,  that  they 
were  constrained  to  praise  the  Lord  aloud  before  they 
could  eat  breakfast  or  before  they  could  even  prepare 
the  meal." 

On  another  occasion  about  that  time,  the  people 
were  so  filled  with  "the  joy  of  the  Lord  which  is  our 
strength"  at  family  prayers,  that  they  did  not  care  to 
eat  at  all.  In  that  community  he  says,  "the  Devil 
and  wicked  people  try  in  every  way  to  hinder  the 
Lord's  work  :  but  it  is  useless,  as  long  as  the  fire  of 
God's  Spirit  burns  like  that  on  the  family  altars" 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1825,  Bro  Seybert  visited 
an  uncle  and  his  family  for  the  purpose  of  seeking  an 
opening  to  preach.  The  privilege  was  given  him, 
and  he  preached  to  them  and  their  neighbors.  His 
relatives  were  deeply  impressed,  and  when  he  left 
them  next  morning  they  were  greatly  moved.  One 
of  the  sons  had  been  converted,  but  acknowledged 
that  he  had  back-slidden  to  a  certain  extent,  and  did 
not  live  as  consistently  as  he  should,  and  conse- 
quently was  rather  a  hindrance  than  a  blessing  to  the 
family  in  their  efforts  to  seek  religion.  Bro.  Seybert 
very  pertinently  remarks:  "  How  necessary  it  is  that 
professors  of  religion  demonstrate  that  which  they 
orally  profess,  by  living  and  acting  in  conformity  with 
the  word  of  God,  lest  the  name  of  God  be  blasphemed 
both  among  the  baptized  and  unbaptized  heathen  of 
the  land.  The  unchristian  conduct  of  those  who  have 
been  enlightened,  always  was  a  greater  obstacle  to 
the  progress  of  Christ's  cause  than  all  the  bloody  per- 
secutions that  have  ever  raged,  and  more  detrimental 


88 


Life  a,7id  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


to  the  religion  of  Jesus,  than  all  the  malicious  literary 
attacks  of  skeptics  and  atheists." 

Barbara  Eckert,  one  of  the  most  devoted  and  pious 
members  of  the  church,  was  bitterly  hated  and  perse- 
cuted, by  her  father  and  relatives,  because  of  her 
earnestness  and  zeal  in  the  service  of  God,  At  the 
time  of  her  conversion  she  was  a  domestic  in  the 
service  of  an  intelligent  Christian  family.  After  she 
had  found  the  pearl  of  great  price,  she  went  home  to 
visit  her  parents.  However,  her  father  was  enraged 
over  the  matter,  so  that  he  refused  to  allow  her  to 
finish  her  term  of  service,  and  kept  her  at  home  to 
keep  her  from  the  "  pernicious"  influence  of  her  Chris- 
tian employers,  in  the  hope  of  diverting  her  from  her 
religious  purposes.  "But  she  was  firm  in  her  purpose, 
and  had  the  moral  courage  to  erect  a  family  altar  at 
home.  While  she  prayed,  her  father  raved  and  swore 
like  a  mad  man.  Nothing  daunted,  Barbara  persisted 
until  her  mother  herself  was  brought  under  conviction 
through  her  godly  life.  Upon  this,  her  father,  seeing 
he  could  not  induce  her  to  give  up  her  religion,  and 
enraged  because  even  his  wife  was  following  the  same 
way,  drove  his  daughter  from  home. 

After  being  driven  from  home  she  was  more  de- 
voted than  ever,  and  seemed  to  be  wholly  charmed 
by  the  love  of  God.  She  enjoyed  in  a  remarkable 
degree  the  life  and  power  of  God.  Soon  after  her 
banishment  from  home  a  "big  meeting"  was  held  at 
the  house  of  Bro.  Young.  The  persecuted  saint  was 
there.  She  was  said  to  have  spent  the  whole  week 
previously  in  fasting.    She  left  Young's  to  go  to  a. 


Presiding  Elder. 


89 


neighbor's  house,  and  never  returned.  She  was  never 
seen  again  after  leaving  Young's.  Many  of  course 
conjectured  that  a  secret  murder  had  been  committed. 
But,  Seybert  concludes,  those  who  knew  her  most 
intimately  whispered  with  significant  mien,  "God  can 
do  to-day  what  He  did  in  Enoch's  day." 

Bro.  Seybert's  young  colleague  could  not  endure 
the  fatigue  of  preaching  and  the  exposure  of  travel, 
consequently  rendered  him  but  feeble  assistance, 
notwithstanding  his  willingness  and  devotion.  To 
make  matters  still  worse,  Seybert  himself  got  sick 
and  had  to  take  to  his  bed,  where  he  remained  for 
four  weeks.  This  was  a  sore  trial,  because,  as  he 
felt,  the  circuit  was  suffering  from  neglect.  But  a 
certain  young  brother  (Joseph  M.  Saylor),  whom  he 
had  been  instrumental  in  saving  the  previous  Winter, 
was  able  to  supply  the  work,  to  Seybert's  great  relief. 
He  remarks  that  this  spell  of  sickness,  which  he  con- 
sidered a  loving  visitation  of  Providence,  taught  him 
two  things:  First,  the  value  of  good  health,  and, 
second,  to  be  joyful  in  affliction;  and  he  regarded  it  a 
great  blessing. 

At  Steintown  Bro.  Seybert  baptized  several  chil- 
dren March  16th,  one  of  which  was  remarkable, 
the  daughter  of  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  named 
McCrary.  This  child  displayed  unusually  strong 
religious  inclinations  for  one  so  young.  Soon  after 
her  baptism,  which  rite  she  had  earnestly  requested, 
she  realized  the  saving  grace  of  God,  though  she  was 
only  a  little  more  than  four  years  of  age.  She  became 
sick,  and  did  not  desire  any  medicine,  but  wished  to 


go 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


be  baptized,  die  and  then  go  to  heaven.  At  her 
death,  which  occurred  soon  after,  she  admonished  her 
parents  very  earnestly  to  prepare  for  eternity,  and 
died  in  great  peace. 

May  29th,  1825,  a  tent-meeting  was  begun  at  Bro. 
Ernst's,  which  deserves  a  place  in  our  Church  annals, 
chiefly  because  it  was  the  occasion  of  the  severest  and 
most  serious  persecution  ever  experienced  at  any 
camp-meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  so  far  as 
known.  On  Wednesday  and  Thursday  a  wonderful 
awakening  took  place  among  the  multitude.  Among 
others  a  poor  cripple  was  converted,  who  confessed 
publicly,  that  before  the  meeting  he  had  been  hired 
by  the  mob  to  stone  those  engaged  in  the  services. 
He  had  come  into  the  congregation  with  his  pockets 
full  of  stones  for  this  diabolical  purpose.  The  Word 
of  God,  however,  got  such  a  hold  upon  him  immedi- 
ately, that  he  sank  to  the  ground  with  his  stony 
weight.  He  was  made  spiritually  whole.  The 
preaching  was  marvelously  powerful.  Several  sin- 
ners literally  fell  to  the  earth  unconscious,  under  the 
hammer-strokes  of  the  truth  of  God.  This  power,  so 
strange  and  mysterious  to  the  blind  masses  of  people, 
occasioned  such  a  terrible  rage  among  the  rabble,  that 
they  fell  upon  these  profoundly  awakened  and  quak- 
ing penitents  like  bloodthirsty  tigers  fall  upon  their 
prey,  and  dragged  them  violently  away  to  a  neigh- 
boring house,  where  they  had  an  ungodly  doctor, 
who  undertook  to  restore  these  sin-sick  and  spiritu- 
ally zvounded  souls  by  bleeding  (phlebotomizing)  and 
by  dashing  cold  water  upon  them.    Unlike  Shake- 


Presiding  Elder 


91 


speare's  physician  in  "  Macbeth,"  this  fellow  could  or 
thought  he  could, 

"  Minister  to  a  mind  diseased, 
Pluck  from  the  memory  a  rooted  sorrow, 
Raze  out  the  written  troubles  of  the  soul." 

They  also  had  a  preacher,  there  named  Boyer,  one 
of  the  many  blind  guides  of  the  day,  who  sought  to 
console  these  awakened  and  smitten  souls  in  their 
sinful  condition,  and  to  quiet  their  fears  by  applying 
his  untempered  mortar.  An  insolent  rabble  gathered 
around  this  ungodly  spiritual  adviser,  with  clubs, 
pitch-forks  and  such  other  murderous  weapons  as 
were  at  hand.  They  prowled  about  the  woods  like 
hyenas.  This  pack  of  howling  wolves  Parson  Boyer 
called  "his  sheep",  for  whose  spiritual,  or  rather  eccle- 
siastical safety  he  attended  the  meeting.  At  the  same 
time  he  kept  continually  threatening  to  '  whistle  for 
his  hounds',  to  chase  the  'foxes'  into  their  holes! 

Seybert  sarcastically  remarks:  "By  his  own  mouth 
these  church- members  were  both  his  'sheep'  and  his 
'  hounds '." 

On  Thursday  afternoon  and  evening  the  devilish 
brood  was  greatly  augmented  in  number.  That  was 
a  sad  and  fearful  night.  The  Satanic  rabble  was  well 
equipped  with  clubs  and  pitch-forks,  for  their  hellish 
work,  and  well  drilled  by  their  commander-in-chief, 
who  kept  himself  in  the  back-ground,  having  great 
confidence  in  the  obedience  and  desperate  character 
of  his  hosts.  They  lay  in  ambush  about  the  encamp- 
ment, under  cover  of  the  darkness,  waiting  for  a 
signal  from  their  wily  leader. 


92  Life  and  Labors  of  yohn  Seybert. 


Rev.  D.  Manwiller  was  preaching,  when  the  club- 
armed  rabble  came  in  and  be  ran  to  tear  off  the 

o 

boards  from  the  preacher's  stand,  and  to  fling  clubs 
and  stones  among  the  worshippers  in  a  very  reckless 
manner.  No  one's  life  was  any  longer  safe.  Their 
brutal  actions  were  made  more  terrible  by  awful  pro- 
fanity and  cursing.  The  service  was  broken  up,  and 
the  devil  took  possession  of  the  place,  in  the  person 
of  Rev.  Boyer  and  his  mob.  To  restore  order  was 
out  of  the  question.  The  rabble  had  torn  down  the 
fire-places  with  which  the  encampment  was  lighted, 
and  raged  frightfully.  Remonstrance  only  made 
them  worse.  The  hellish  performance  was  kept  up 
all  through  that  hideous  night.  Their  howling  and 
screaming  was  more  terrible  than  that  of  wild  beasts. 
At  times  they  would  bawl  like  calves  or  cattle,  then 
crow  like  cocks,  swearing  meanwhile  and  cursing  one 
another  and  the  worshippers  promiscuously:  These 
people  were  mostly  so  called  church-members. 

Oh,  how  that  persecuted  'company  wished  for  the 
day!  they  cried  more  than  once  during  that  night, 
"  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  Watchman  what  of 
the  night  ? — Still  there  were  also  some  decent  people 
on  the  grounds,  who,  though  they  were  not  converted, 
yet  stood  by  the  people  of  God.  On  Friday  some  of 
the  rowdies  left  the  ground  and  the  confusion  was 
somewhat  diminished. 

As  to  casualities,  Bro.  Ernst,  on  whose  premises 
the  meeting  was  held,  was  beaten  unmercifully  with 
a  club,  during  the  night.  Bro.  D.  Loos  was  danger- 
ously wounded  with  a  pitchfork,  while  many  were 


Presiding  Elder. 


93 


bruised  and  stunned  by  flying  stones  and  other 
missiles.  No  one  was  killed,  however,  which,  under 
the  circumstances,  was  a  'veritable  miracle,  and  must 
be  attributed  to  the  merciful  intervention  of  our 
Heavenly  Father. 

Many  of  the  friends  were  now  in  favor  of  closing 
the  meeting  at  once,  but  others  wanted  to  have  at 
least  one  more  service  held.  The  latter  was  accord- 
ingly done.  Amid  the  ghastly  ruins  of  their  tem- 
porary sanctuary,  and  amid  the  continued  howling  of 
the  rabble,  Bro.  Seybert  preached  from  Psalm  43:3, 
and  God's  Spirit  wrought  mightily  through  the  word. 
They  broke  up  the  meeting  on  Friday  noon,  how- 
ever, one  day  sooner  than  they  had  originally  con- 
templated. 

Such  occurrences  are  a  dark  blot  upon  the  history 
of  this  land  of  religious  liberty,  sad  mementoes  of  the 
unhappy  past,  and  an  eternal  disgrace  to  the  old 
German  churches  in  America.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible to-day  to  believe  such  things,  but  for  the  indubit- 
able evidence  of  the  most  trustworthy  witnesses. 
Should  any  member  of  those  churches  scan  these 
pages,  let  him  be  thankful  to  Almighty  God  that  he 
lives  in  a  brighter  day.  Neither  let  him  ever  again 
think  or  say  that  the  Church  of  Jacob  Albright  had  no 
mission  in  this  country,  no  occasion  for  its  existence. 

The  annual  conference  which  met  June  6th,  1825, 
elected  Bro.  Seybert  to  the  office  of  Presiding  Elder 
for  the  first  time.  This  was  a  surprise  to  him  and  by 
no  means  an  agreeable  one.  He  thought  the  breth- 
ren greatly  over-estimated  him  and  knew  nothing  of 


94  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


his  great  deficiencies,  or  they  would  not  have  en- 
trusted to  him  this  important  position.  However,  he 
determined  to  seek  more  grace,  and  live  nearer  to 
x  God,  in  the  hope  that  perhaps  he  could  get  along  at 
any  rate.  He  was  assigned  to  Canaan  District,  em- 
bracing Schuylkill,  Lancaster,  York  and  Franklin 
circuits.  One  of  these  circuits  was  alone  greater  than 
an  entire  District  is  at  the  present  time,  in  most  of 
our  conferences.  Bro.  Seybert  was  no  less  success- 
ful in  his  new  position,  than  he  had  been  in  his  former 
one.  Awakenings  and  conversions  continued  to 
occur  under  his  labors.  He  was  a  Presiding  Elder 
who  saved  souls. 

He  relates  that  in  October  he  preached  in  a  hotel 
to  an  attentive  audience.  He  also  lodged  there. 
When  he  awoke  in  the  morning  he  was  somewhat 
perplexed  concerning  family  worship  in  this 'public 
house,  and  felt  inclined  to  shrink  from  suggesting  it 
to  the  landlord.  After  coming  down  stairs,  and 
breakfast  being  ready,  he  was  quite  agreeably  sur- 
prised to  find  the  landlord  coming  into  the  room  he 
occupied,  and,  after  the  usual  morning  salutation, 
accosting  Seybert  with  "  I  suppose  the  minister  will 
pray  with  us  this  morning  before  breakfast?"  "O, 
yes,"  he  replied,  "  I  consider  it  my  duty,  where  I 
lodge  at  night  to  hold  family  worship  with  the  family, 
when  it  is  permitted." — But  that  morning  he  had 
almost  determined  not  to  venture  to  suggest  it  him- 
self. He  now  conducted  service  with  much  delight, 
but  afterwards  felt  heartily  ashamed  of  his  "lack  of 
moral  courage". 


Presiding  Elder, 


95 


Nov.  14th  Seybert  visited  a  penitent  man  who  was 
extremely  timid,  fearing  persecution  if  he  should 
espouse  the  cause  of  Christ  openly.  He  specially 
feared  a  brother  of  his,  who  had  in  some  way  learned 
his  state  of  mind  and  threatened  to  shoot  him  if  he 
went  with  these  "knee- crawlers"  (knie-rutscher) . 

This  menace  scared  the  timid  soul,  but  the  Lord 
opened  his  way  by  a  terrible  visitation  of  Providence. 
On  his  way  home  from  his  errand  of  intimidation 
the  wicked  brother  was  suddenly  taken  violently  ill. 
In  a  few  hours  he  became  speechless,  and  was  never 
able  to  utter  another  word.  He  finally  died  in  great 
agony.  In  this  way  the  Lord  opened  the  way  for 
the  brother,  and  took  away  an  unprofitable  servant. 
"Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked.  For  what- 
soever a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap." 

In  his  old  home,  during  this  year,  Bro.  Seybert 
was  also  called  upon  one  day  by  a  police  officer. 
However,  his  offense  was  nothing  grave.  When  he 
was  yet  in  business  there,  he  had  become  security  on 
a  note  for  one  of  his  neighbors,  who  had  proved 
unfaithful,  leaving  Seybert  to  pay  the  note,  and  for 
this  the  officer  of  the  law  came  to  see  Seybert.  But 
he  immediately  paid  the  note  and  so  escaped  arrest. 
Seybert  lost  a  great  sum  of  money  in  just  this  way, 
during  his  life. 

Following  is  a  letter  which  Bro.  Seybert  wrote  to  a 
life-long  intimate  friend,  in  Reading,  Pa.,  who  was 
however  a  member  of  another  denomination.  This 
letter  gives  further  glimpses  into  the  life  and  work  of 
Seybert  at  this  time: 


g6  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


York  County,  Pa.,  March  2d,  1826. 
Dear  Friend  and  Brother  in  Jesus! 

''Your  letter  to  your  friends  in  Manheim  I 
delivered  in  person.  The  man  seems,  however,  un- 
concerned as  regards  things  ol  eternity;  still,  in  a 
general  way  there  is  an  improvement  in  spiritual 
matters  in  the  town,  for  during  the  last  five  weeks 
there  have  gradually  been  some  conversions.  I  am 
well  in  soul  and  body,  and  earnestly  desire  the  same 
blessing  for  you  and  yours. 

"Since  I  left  you  I  have  had  many  a  severe  con- 
flict and  trial  to  endure,  and  have  been  assailed  from 
within  and  without,  by  Satan  and  by  the  world. 
But  the  Almighty  is  my  faithful  and  ever  present 
Helper,  and  He  helps  me  through.  Blessed  be  his 
dear  name!  In  order  to  look  up  new  preaching- 
places  I  have  ventured  north,  even  into  the  land  of 
midnight  (Jer.  3:12)  and  preached  the  Word  there, 
where  I  had  blessed  and  melting  seasons.  There  is 
hope  for  that  region,  especially  in  the  Mahanoy 
valley.  In  the  vicinity  of  Orwigsburg  it  still  goes 
well.  Usually  in  our  services  there  great  weeping 
occurs  among  the  unconverted,  while  the  people 
of  God  engage  in  shouting  and  praising  the  Lord, 
end  weeping.  Conversions  are  still  going  on,  for  the 
Lord  is  at  work  in  spite  of  all  the  opposition  and 
persecution  on  the  part  of  the  ungodly  parsons.  Not 
long  ago  one  was  converted  whom  Babylon  the  Great 
regarded  as  a  strong  pillar.  He  also  united  with  the 
people  of  God,  which  caused  no  little  crashing  and 
cracking  in  the  old  Babylonian  edifice.    The  founda- 


Presiding  Elder. 


97 


tion,  which  is  built  on  the  sand,  and  the  roof  which 
rests  upon  dangerously  rotten  reasoning — in  shortr 
the  whole  hellish  building  trembles.  Several  strong 
posts  have  been  shaken  loose  by  the  fall  of  the  great 
pillar  aforesaid,  besides  many  beams  and  joists  have- 
been  lifted  out  of  their  places,  and  the  whole  structure 
is  crazy  and  out  of  shape.  Unless  Babel's  builders 
quickly  fasten  the  broken  parts  and  loose  pillars  and, 
beams,  they  will  soon  fall  out  also. 

"But  to  return  to  Manheim,  my  birth-place.  Only 
recently  I  had  a  meeting  there,  in  which  the  power 
of  God  became  marvellously  manifest  while  I  was 
preaching  from  Rev.  22:17.  A  general  power  of 
repentance  came  upon  the  people,  and  the  slain  of  the 
Lord  were  of  all  ages,  from  the  child  of  twelve  to  the 
man  of  fifty.  There  are  still  seeking  souls  there  even 
now,  while  many  have  obtained  pardon  in  the  blood 
of  Christ.  Since  the  Lord  works  so  mightily  in 
Manheim,  there  is  great  uneasiness  in  the  kingdom 
of  darkness.  The  fact  that  the  sons  of  Belial  are  doing 
their  utmost  to  hinder  the  work  is  proof  enough  of  this. 
In  several  cases,  parents  have  beaten  their  children 
unmercifully,  because  they  wished  to  lead  a  godly  life 
and  desired  to  abandon  the  prayerless  ways  of  their 
parents.  But  this  has  been  of  old  the  characterestic  of 
the  Babylonians  to  persecute  and  oppress  God's  people. 
However,  the  work  of  the  Lord  is  not  hindered. 

"You  also  know  something  of  the  Reformed  min- 
ister, John  Winebrenner,  do  you  not?    The  same  is 
earnestly  engaged  in  the  Lord's  work,  labors  with 
great  success  and  God  is  with  him.    This  can  not  be 
7 


98  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


denied,  by  the  ungodly  and  even  all  the  Egyptian 
sorcerers  can  not  gain  say  it.  Winebrenner  preaches 
in  a  certain  locality,  in  Cumberland  county,  where  the 
people  are  boundlessly  wicked.  But  since  he  is 
preaching  there,  a  work  of  grace  has  broken  out,  and 
it  is  asserted  that  the  people  of  Lisbon  and  vicinity 
are  nearly  all  awakened  and  converted.  This  man 
manifests  great  zeal,  and  is  no  respecter  of  persons  or 
station.  He  preaches  to  the  wicked  and  the  good, 
among  the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich  and  the  poor, 
Methodists,  white  or  black.  He  is  loved  by  the  good, 
and  by  the  false  teachers  he  is  hated  and  persecuted. 

On  last  Tuesday  evening  I  had  a  meeting  in  York 
county,  during  which  such  distress  of  soul  seized  the 
unconverted,  that  I  could  not  continue  my  remarks. 
The  people  wept  and  began  to  cry  for  mercy  so  loudly, 
that  I  could  not  be  understood. 

Now,  dear  Bro.  Rein,  I  wish  you  God's  blessing 
a  thousand-fold,  so  that  you  may  be  enabled  to  con- 
tinue faithful  to  a  happy  end  in  the  well  begun  work. 
Your  wife  also  shall  pray  earnestly,  live  a  holy  life,  and 
continue  to  seek  that  which  is  good  through  suffering 
and  in  patience,  as  her  purpose  also  is.  Tell  your 
daughter  to  consecrate  her  youthful  years  to  the  ser- 
vice of  God;  above  all  let  her  follow  Jesus  in  humility, 
avoid  pride,  and  God  will  bless  her.  Greet  G's.  for 
me.  They  are  to  remember  me  in  prayer,  for  they 
are  my  friends  beloved  in  the  Lord.  It  would  greatly 
delight  me,  if  you  would  write  to  me  as  to  how  the 
work  of  the  Lord  prospers  in  your  city. 

Your  Brother  in  Christ,  John  Seybert." 


Presiding  Elder. 


99 


At  the  conference  session  of  1820  Seybert  was 
chosen  President.  There  was  as  yet  no  Bishop  in 
the  Evangelical  x^ssociation.  Though  the  Discipline 
provided  for  the  office,  it  had  not  been  filled.  Until 
a  Bishop  was  elected,  the  Presiding  Elders  were  the 
highest  functionaries  in  the  church. 

In  June  of  this  year  Seybert  visited  John  Wine- 
brenner, the  founder  of  the  society  calling  itself 
<l  Church  of  God,"  also  commonly  known  as  4<  Wine- 
brennarians".  Bro.  Seybert  says  they  had  a  very 
edifying  interview,  and  mutually  obligated  themselves 
to  pray  for  one  another,  and  also  agreed  that  Seybert 
should  be  welcome  to  preach  at  Winebrenner's 
appointments,  and  Winebrenner  should  be  equally 
welcome  at  Seybert' s  appointments.  At  the  close  of 
the  interview  they  knelt  together  in  prayer,  and  the 
above  covenant  was  practically  observed  by  both  of 
these  brethren,  until  Winebrenner  assumed  an  inde- 
pendent attitude,  began  to  promulgate  some  singular 
notions  and  prepared  the  way  for  the  organization 
of  the  "Church  of  God",  as  a  separate  branch  of  the 
Christian  Church,  when  further  fraternization  became 
impracticable. 

In  1826  Bro.  Seybert  broke  the  fallow  ground  for 
the  work  of  the  Evangelical  Association  in  the  valleys 
of  Likens,  Mahantango,  Mahanoy,  Pauls,  Armstrong 
and  Deep  Creek.  In  this  enterprise,  however,  the 
Presiding  Elder  of  Canaan  district  subjected  himself 
to  great  persecution.  Already  on  his  first  tour  over 
the  lofty  Mount  Mahantango,  his  preaching  resulted 
in  awakening  sinners,  and  many  inquired  what  must 


i  oo  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


be  done  to  be  saved.  This  aroused  the  spirit  of  per- 
secution at  once,  which  was  at  first  directed  against 
the  preacher  himself.  One  man  distinguished  him- 
self above  all  others  for  his  insolence  and  an^er.  He 
sought  to  ascertain  the  time  when  Seybert  would 
again  cross  the  mountain,  loaded  his  gun,  and  an- 
nounced that  he  was  going  out  to  shoot  "this  Sey- 
bert". No  one  doubted  the  desperation  of  this  moun- 
tain terror,  for  all  knew  he  was  vicious  enough  to 
execute  his  threat.  He  went  out  to  the  mountain 
early  in  the  morning  of  the  day  designated  for  Sey- 
bert's  return,  and  waited  and  watched  the  entire  day 
for  his  harmless,  unsuspecting  victim.  But  no  Sey- 
bert appeared;  he  had  crossed  the  mountain  early  in 
the  morning,  and  while  the  would-be-assassin  was 
lurking  there,  his  intended  victim  was  innocently  en- 
gaged in  visiting  one  family  after  another  of  awakened 
souls,  in  the  valley  below,  who  were  hungering  and 
thirsting  after  righteousness.  The  ruffian  with  others 
like  himself  would  no  doubt  have  been  at  the  services 
in  the  valley  that  evening,  but  so  certain  were  they 
that  Seybert  had  not  passed  over,  the  Mahantango, 
that  they  made  no  effort  to  go  to  the  services.  After 
discovering  that  his  game  had  eluded  him,  the  ruffian 
swore  that  he  would  shoot  Seybert  from  his  horse  be- 
fore he  should  ever  again  reach  his  appointments.  He 
was  no  doubt  in  earnest,  and  would  have  accomplished 
his  diabolical  purpose  had  not  Providence  interfered. 
Before  the  faithful  itinerant  returned,  the  would-be- 
assassin  was  dead  and  buried.  Surely,  as  Luther  has 
written  in  his  great  hymn  of  the  Reformation, 


Presiding  Elder. 


101 


"A  might}'  fortress  in  our  God." 

Though  no  one  informed  the  *l Governor"  of  the 
plot,  as  in  the  case  of  Paul,  yet  God  knew  it  and  de- 
feated the  purpose  of  Hell  by  sending  the  death  angel 
to  palsy  the  murderous  heart  and  hand. 

Bro.  Seybert  was  a  good  prophet  in  regard  to  the 
progress  of  the  work  of  the  Evangelical  Association. 
There  are  instances  in  which  his  predictions  were 
minutely  realized.  In  1827  he  made  the  following 
prediction,  concerning  the  above  named  valleys: 

"There  is  at  present  much  excitement  about  salva- 
tion, and  many  inquiries  after  the  way  or  life.  The 
people  are  uneasy  in  their  sins,  and  eager  throngs 
assemble  at  our  services.  This  uneasiness  of  the  pub- 
lic mind,  is  destined  to  become  general,  for  the  morn- 
ing twilight  of  the  day  of  grace  is  breaking  upon  the 
midnight  of  these  valleys  and  mountains: 

The  clouds  are  lifting, 
The  shadows  shifting. 

It  will  soon  be  daylight,  for  the  day-star  has  arisen, 
and  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  will  speedily  burst 
upon  the  scene  with  his  glory,  and  darkness  will  flee 
away.  All  the  efforts  of  Satan  to  prevent  it  will  be 
in  vain.  A  great  change  is  imminent  here,  and  a 
mighty  spiritual  revolution  will  be  enacted  on  this 
romantic  arena.  These  valleys  will  be  redeemed. 
This  desert  will  yet  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose; 
it  will  blossom  abundantly,  and  rejoice  with  joy  and 
singing.  All  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  our 
God," 


102  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


This  glorious  prediction,  like  many  other  similar 
ones,  was  strikingly  fulfilled.  He  was  endowed  with 
a  remarkable  prophetic  ken.  He  stood  upon  the 
mountain  summits,  and  his  acute  intellect  saw  with 
precision  what  the  outcome  would  be,  for  he  had  a 
just  appreciation  of  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  which 
is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  unto  everyone 
that  believeth. 

The  conference  session  of  1827  was  held  in  Or- 
wigsburg.  During  the  conference  session  the  people 
streamed  to  the  services  in  great  and  eager  crowds, 
among  them  many  newly  converted,  The  work  here 
was  now  well  established.  A  society  of  one  hundred 
and  forty  zealous  and  active  members  was  already 
organized. 

Seybert  started  on  a  Saturday  in  September  from 
a  camp-meeting  in  Virginia,  to  visit  his  mother,  and 
rode  fifty  miles  that  day.  Sunday  he  crossed  the 
Alleghany  mountains,  for  he  had  an  appointment  to 
preach  that  evening.  He  reached  his  mother's  home 
at  Economy  on  the  following  Friday.  The  visit  of 
her  son  caused  her  much  joy.  The  next  day  he  spent 
in  visiting  from  house  to  house  among  the  Harmon- 
ites.  —  They  had  meanwhile  changed  the  name  of 
their  society  and  town,  however,  calling  it  'Economy' 
latterly.  On  Sunday  he  went  to  church  with  them  in 
the  morning,  when  Rapp  preached.  The  evening 
they  spent  in  playing  on  musical  instruments.  Wed- 
nesday evening  Rapp  held  a  church  trial  with  a 
member  who  was  found  guilty  of  stealing  apples  from 
a  neighboring  orchard.     Rapp  asked  the  society  what 


Presiding  Elder. 


103 


should  be  done  with  the  offender.  No  one  spoke. 
After  waiting  in  silence  for  a  while  he  exclaimed  im- 
patiently, "Is  there  no  one  here  who  has  a  familiar 
spirit?"  At  last  a  young  man  arose,  and  suggested 
that  the  thief  should  be  prohibited  from  attending 
public  meetings  for  two  weeks.  This  was  accordingly 
done,  Rapp  adding  to  the  punishment  that  during  the 
two  weeks  he  should  live  on  bread  and  water,  and  no 
one  should  eive  him  a  welcome. 

On  Friday  Seybert  left  to  go  to  Ohio.  After 
preaching  a  number  of  times  and  visiting  Bro.  Erb, 
he  returned  to  Economy  before  the  second  Sunday. 
The  Lord's  day  was  spent  similar  to  the  one  described. 
He  remained  another  week,  taking  a  much  needed 
rest,  meanwhile  applying  remedies  to  cure  a  trouble- 
some cough  which  had  settled  upon  his  lungs. 
Among  these  Economists  he  says  no  one  is  in  want,  a 
consequence  of  the  community  of  goods.  Their 
domestic  habits  are  simple,  cleanly  and  economical. 
The  same  is  true  of  their  dress.  They  seem  to  love 
each  other  sincerely.  Those  who  are  married  prac- 
tice continence,  hoping  in  this  way  to  present  them- 
selves to  Christ  as  a  Bride  without  spot  or  wrinkle,  or 
any  such  thing.  They  seldom,  if  ever,  have  prayer- 
meetings,  never  saying  grace  at  table,  nor  holding 
family  worships  contending  that  one  must  "pray  in- 
wardly". They  consider  baptism  unnecessary,  and 
disregard  feet-washing,  but  they  esteem  the  Sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper  very  highly.  They  pro- 
fess that  Christ  will  soon  come  and  establish  his  king- 
dom among  them  and  by  them.    It  may  be  remarked 


1 04  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

here,  that  Seybert  always  spoke  favorably  of  this 
institution. 

January  30th,  1828,  he  went  to  Harrisburgh  on  his 
way  east.  Here  he  visited  Rev.  J.  Dreisbach,  who 
was  at  the  time  a  member  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives of  Pennsylvania.  Dreisbach  showed  Seybert 
the  hall  of  the  Representatives  and  the  imposing 
Capitol  buildings,  the  arrangements  of  which  the  latter 
thought  very  excellent.  He  was  glad  to  see  his 
ministerial  brother  there,  and  hoped  he  would  also  do 
his  duty  in  his  present  position  to  the  glory  of  his 
Lord  and  the  welfare  of  his  country.  "But",  he  ex- 
claimed, "how  much  greater  is  the  dignity  and  honor 
of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  which  I  am  permitted  to 
hold!  O  thou  eternal  Jehovah!  Who  am  I  poor 
worm,  that  Thou  hast  counted  me  worthy  of  a  place 
among  Thy  children?  Though  I  were  a  thousand 
times  better  than  I  am,  I  would  by  no  means  be 
worthy  of  this  dignity.  I  could  not  even  claim  merit 
enough  to  be  a  door-keeper  in  Thy  house.  How  can 
I  be  worthy  of  such  an  office  as  the  Gospel  ministry ! 
Nevertheless  I  praise  Thee  with  all  my  soul,  that 
Thou  hast  counted  me  worthy,  putting  me  into  the 
ministry,  through  Jesus  Christ.  Amen." 

Seybert  not  only  engaged  in  pioneer  work  in  rural 
districts  and  villages,  but  also  opened  the  way  for 
the  Evangelical  Association  in  large  cities.  He 
visited  the  cities  of  Reading  and  Philadelphia  for 
years,  occasionally,  and  was  greatly  esteemed  by  the 
honest  Germans  of  those  places,  for  his  simplicity  of 
manners,    his    disingenuousness   of   mind,  his  self- 


Presiding  Elder. 


denial,  his  condescending  interest  in  the  common 
people,  and  his  industry.  During  the  current  year 
(1828)  he  made  some  progress  in  laying  the  founda- 
tion for  our  work  in  those  cities,  which  has  now  as- 
sumed large  proportions. 

In  April  he  visited  one  of  the  German  clergy  in 
Womelsdorf.  Seybert,  during  their  conversation, 
asked  him  as  to  the  state  of  religious  matters  there, 
and  the  parson  replied  that  everything  is  "all  right". 
But  Seybert  did  not  agree.  "This  preacher,"  he  says, 
"calls  everything  all  right,  while  at  the  same  time 
the  masses  of  the  people  there  live  like  veritable 
heathen.  For  instance:  Just  about  that  time  two 
church-members  had  a  heated  quarrel  at  a  dance. 
The  quarrel  ended  in  a  fight,  but  in  a  few  minutes 
they  professed  to  make  peace.  One  of  the  belliger- 
ents, who  was  the  fiddler,  began  to  play  again,  and  the 
dance  went  on.  Meanwhile  the  other  went  out, 
procured  a  knife,  came  back  and  stabbed  the  fiddler, 
killing  him  instantly.  At  the  funeral  of  the  murdered 
fiddler  the  parson  aforesaid  declared,  the  brother  had 
fallen  asleep  in  Jesus;  that  he  is  in  heaven,  and  has 
no  sin  to  account  for.  The  murderer  was  alone  the 
sinner.  This  preacher  calls  this  getting  along  well  in 
religion!  Surely,  this  is  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked, 
the  security  of  the  sons  of  Belial.  And  no  wonder 
that  such  a  state  of  affairs  exists  when  the  spiritual 
leaders  cry  "peace,  peace'  when  there  is  no  peace!' 

The  conference  of  1828  met  in  June,  at  New  Berlin. 
On  account  of  increasing  interests  and  more  business 
complications  its  session  lasted  an  entire  day  longer 


io6  Life  and  Labors  of  Jo  Jin  Seybert. 


than  heretofore.  Up  to  the  previous  year  there  was 
but  one  conference  in  the  Evangelical  Association, 
and  that  conference  had  to  transact  the  business  and 
govern  the  affairs  of  the  entire  Church. 

In  1827  the  Western  conference  was  formed, — 
which  afterwards  became  the  Ohio  conference,  but 
for  several  years  the  most  important  business  was 
still  transacted  in  the  Eastern  conference.  This 
made  the  session  of  1828  unusually  lengthy.  At  this 
session  Joseph  Long,  (afterwards  Bishop)  was  for  the 
first  time  chosen  as  Presiding  Elder  and  placed  in 
charge  of  the  one  district  composing  the  new 
Western  conference.  Long  was  thus  the  first 
Presiding  Elder,  regularly  serving  in  the  Western 
or  Ohio  conference.  Seybert  remained  on  Canaan 
district. 

During  this  year  a  sort  of  union  camp- meeting  was 
held  in  Cumberland  Co.,  Penna.,  originated  by  Rev. 
John  Winebrenner,  at  that  time  as  yet  a  minister  in 
the  Reformed  Church.  It  was  to  be  purely  non- 
sectarian,  and  ministers  of  four  different  denomina- 
tions were  present  and  participated,  besides  even 
some  who  belonged  to  no  branch  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Bro.  Seybert,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
very  favorably  impressed  with  the  character  of  Wine- 
brenner's  work,  was  also  present  and  preached.  The 
meeting  was  very  largely  attended,  and  no  less  than 
sixty-two  tents  were  erected.  The  meeting  produced 
an  extraordinary  spiritual  commotion,  and  the  close  is 
said  to  have  been  very  affecting. 

The  only  serious  objection  Seybert  had  at  that  time 


Presiding  Elder. 


to  Winebrenner's  work  as  a  spiritual  reformer,  was 
that  in  his  opinion  he  did  not  lay  stress  enough  upon 
the  virtue  of  self-denial  and  non-conformity  to  worldly 
pleasures  and  fashions.  —  Of  course,  later  on,  when 
Winebrenner  began  to  drift  away  from  the  beaten 
track  of  orthodoxy,  and  announced  his  extreme  views 
on  baptism  and  insisted  upon  feet  washing  as  an  ordi- 
nance, Seybert  could  no  longer  endorse  the  course 
of  his  former  friend. — Accordingly  he  took  the  oppor- 
tunity at  this  camp-meeting  to  preach  on  this  subject 
of  self-denial,  for  he  thought  the  people  were  dressed 
in  a  very  vain  and  worldly  fashion,  entirely  unbecom- 
ing for  Christians.  Seybert  was  thoroughly  at  home 
on  this  theme,  and  his  preaching  was  often  startling 
in  its  immediate  effects. 

On  this  occasion  he  made  a  profound  impression. 
Some  of  the  "haughty  ones  in  Zion",  as  he  called 
them,  threw  into  the  straw  useless  articles  of  orna- 
mentation, or  rushed  excitedly  into  their  tents  to 
divest  themselves  of  articles  of  dress  which  their 
aroused  consciences  condemned.  This  was  preach- 
ing with  effect  upon  a  subject  which  is  undoubtedly 
neglected  too  much  in  our  day,  by  Evangelical 
preachers.  Seybert,  however,  never  prescribed  any 
particular  mode  of  dress;  he  only  insisted  upon  pro- 
priety, simplicity,  plainness  and  economy.  He  op- 
posed fashionable  apparel  chiefly  on  the  ground  of 
the  boundless  extravagance  to  which  it  leads,  and 
because,  to  his  mind,  it  was  indicative  of  conformity 
at  heart  to  the  world.  To  him  personal  apparel  was 
an  important  index  of  the  state  of  the  heart.  He 


1 08  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert 


thought  a  Christian  ought  to  dress  like  a  Christian, 
and  not  with  the  vanity  and  display  of  a  peacock. 
Was  he  wrong? 

In  September  he  was  taken  very  sick,  so  that  he 
was  confined  to  bed  for  twelve  days.  He  stayed 
with  a  family  named  Wise,  whose  kind  hospitality  he 
gratefully  acknowledged,  and  whose  sterling  piety  he 
greatly  admired.  His  sickness  was  so  severe  that  it 
was  feared  his  career  would  end.  He  experienced 
no  fear  of  death  or  eternity,  and  expressed  himself 
prepared  for  the  mortal  change.  Contrary  to  all 
expectations  however,  he  recovered,  and  before  he 
had  sufficiently  recuperated,  he  was  again  in  the 
saddle.  Occasionally  he  was  compelled  to  stop  and 
lie  abed  for  several  days.  Frequently  he  lay  down 
by  the  road- side  in  the  woods.  In  the  evening,  if  he 
was  too  feeble  to  preach,  he  exhorted  or  held  class 
and  prayer-meetings.  Thus  the  intrepid  pioneer  kept 
on,  and  actually  recovered  in  the  midst  of  his  labors. 
It  was  almost  impossible  for  Seybert  to  adjust  him- 
self to  the  idleness  which  sickness  imposed.  How- 
ever, on  a  certain  occasion  in  a  conversation,  he  as- 
serted that  he  had  learned  through  sickness  to  serve 
the  Lord  in  a  new  way.  Upon  being  asked  for  an 
explanation,  he  said:  ''Not  long  ago,  when  I  had  to 
succumb  to  severe  sickness,  I  had  a  very  hard  con- 
flict with  myself,  because  I  could  not  be  contented 
with  doing  nothing.  Suddenly  it  flashed  upon  my 
mind  that  we  must  not  only  labor  according  to  the 
will  of  God,  but  also  suffer  according  to  the  will  of 
God." 


Presiding  Elder.  109 

Near  the  city  limits  of  Lebanon,  Pa.,  there  stood 
an  old  one-story  brick  church,  built  upon  a  great, 
solid  limestone-bedrock  for  a  foundation,  and  there- 
fore a  very  firm  and  substantial  building*.  It  was 
owned  by  a  defunct  society  of  Mennonites,  the  few 
remaining  members  of  which,  however,  generously 
opened  their  house  for  the  use  of  other  preachers. 
Seybert  was  always  welcome  to  use  it  and  frequently 
preached  there.  In  April,  1829,  he  with  several  other 
ministers  held  a  special  meeting  there.  This  meet- 
ing was  evidently  characterized  by  considerable  lively 
demonstration,  upon  which  several  of  those  who  had 
control  of  the  property,  sent  word  to  Seybert  that  he 
could  not  be  permitted  to  hold  any  more  of  that  kind 
of  meetings  in  the  old  brick,  for,  they  said,  "it  would 
not  stand  the  jumping  and  shouting!"  But  Seybert 
gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that  the  building  was  perfectly 
safe,  standing  as  it  did  upon  the  great  limestone 
rock;  he  thought  there  was  much  more  likelihood  that 
"certain  cold  and  formal  Christians  could  not  endure 
such  lively  meetings." 

About  this  time,  while  on  a  prospecting  tour 
through  Lehigh  county,  he  visited  a  venerable  gentle- 
man, eighty-five  years  of  age,  belonging  to  the 
"Schwenkfelders",  otherwise  known  as  Tunkers,  who 
had  long  cherished  an  ardent  desire  to  see  another 
preacher  of  the  Evangelical  Association  before  he 
died.  His  delight,  therefore,  at  seeing  Bro.  Seybert, 
was  very  great,  and  he  treated  him  very  effection- 
ately. 

Seybert  says: 


1 10  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


"I  also  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Schwenkfelders, 
where  a  man  named  Schultz  preached.  These 
people  seemed  to  be  a  very  sociable,  virtuous 
society,  outwardly  humble,  and  simple  in  their  dress. 
But  it  seemed  to  me  that  in  respect  of  the  inner 
spiritual  life  they  were  far  below  the  mark.  I  gave 
my  host  several  tracts  on  the  subject  of  conversion 
and  salvation  from  sin.  I  found  four  classes  of  people 
in  this  vicinity: 

First,  the  rough  and  extremely  wicked. 

Second,  the  respectable  and  moral,  who  have  never 
been  awakened. 

Third,  those  who  were  struggling  with  conviction. 

Fourth,  some  who  may  have  had  some  knowledge 
of  a  genuine  Evangelical  experience." 

Our  sainted  Bishop  never  failed  to  chronicle  in  his 
journals  an  appreciative  reference  to  the  beauties 
and  delights  of  Spring.  In  his  strictly  itinerant  mode 
of  life,  too,  he  had  abundant  opportunities  to  witness 
and  enjoy  the  annual  resurrection  of  nature.  He  was 
blessed  in  this  respect  above  modern  pastors,  who 
find  themselves  mostly  shut  up  within  the  brown,  dull 
walls  of  the  library,  or  tramping  with  weary  feet  the 
sombre  pavements  of  the  city  —  that  sacrilege  in 
God's  beautiful  temple  of  nature.  Scarcely  a  blade 
of  grass  helps  to  soften  their  footsepts  ;  scarcely  a 
flower  greets  their  languid  eyes,  as  they  pace  the 
tread-mill  beat  of  their  daily  round  of  duties.  Some 
of  them  would,  we  think,  gladly  bear  the  hardships 
of  the  glorious  old-time  itinerants,  for  the  exuberant 
joys  and  exquisite  pleasures  which  blessed  them. 


Presiding  Elder.  1 1  r 

Give  us  green  fields,  shadowy  wildwood,  meander- 
ing brook,  fleecy  clouds  flecking  a  soft  blue  sky  visible 
from  horizon  line  to  horizon  line,  pure  air  perfumed 
from  the  tinted  chalices  of  God's  flowers,  and  sunshine 
that  comes  clear  and  straight  from  heaven,  not  filtered 
into  shadow  through  clouds  of  smoke  and  dust  and 
soot  from  a  thousand  impudent  fire  throats!  —  But  we 
started  to  copy  an  entry  from  Seybert's  journal,  writ- 
ten in  the  Spring  of '29: 

"At  this  season  of  the  year  traveling  is  pleasant. 
Everything  is  beautiful  ;  the  weather  is  delightful  ; 
the  earth  is  carpeted  with  green;  a  glorious  wealth  of 
flowers  is  displayed  in  meadow  and  on  hillside,  and  the 
very  air  is  full  of  the  most  pleasant  odors.  In  the 
soft  evening  the  trill  of  the  frog  is  heard,  and  in  the 
morning  the  feathery  tribes  sing  their  choruses  of 
praise,  while  the  cooing  of  the  turtle-dove  lends  its 
subduing  enchantment  to  the  song.  One  can  now 
drink  in  the  delights  of  nature  and  the  glory  and 
a-oodness  of  the  Creator,  with  all  the  five  senses." 

During  this  Spring  he  went  to  Dauphin  county,  to 
look  up  a  new  field  of  operation,  and  was  invited  to 
the  house  of  a  man  named  Henn.  But  wThen  he 
began  to  arrrange  for  family  prayers,  the  housewife 
became  angry,  and  began  to  curse,  scold  and  swrear, 
though  Mr.  Henn  himself  was  pleased  to  have  his 
guest  pray.  Seybert  prayed  in  spite  of  the  angry 
woman,  and  continued  praying  until  she  became 
quiet.  But  seeing  that  the  prayer  had  touched'  her 
husband's  heart,  set  her  to  raving  anew,  and  she 
finally  threatened  to  scald  Seybert  with  boiling  water. 


ii2  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


Upon  this  he  spoke  gently  and  kindly  to  the  woman, 
and  was  permitted  to  remain  all  night;  but  he  left 
early  next  morning  without  breakfast,  though  he  was 
obliged  to  make  a  long  journey  fasting. 

On  the  last  day  of  May,  1829,  he  concluded  his 
labors  on  Canaan  district,  where  he  had  now  labored 
for  four  years  with  great  zeal,  faithfulness  and  accept- 
ability. He  had  many  spiritual  sons  and  daughters 
there,  for  whose  welfare  and  spiritual  advancement 
he  was  greatly  concerned.     He  writes: 

"  To-day  I  must  leave  my  dear  Canaan  district. 
My  heart  is  filled  with  sadness  at  having  to  give 
the  parting  hand  to  so  many  warm  friends,  to 
whom  I  have  become  so  closely  attached.  And 
yet,  my  soul  is  moved  to  grateful  praise  unto 
God,  for  his  unspeakable  goodness  to  me  during 
these  four  years.  With  such  feelings  and  thoughts 
in  my  heart,  I  could  not  do  otherwise  to-day  than 
stay  behind  my  traveling  companions,  on  the  way  to 
conference,  to  commune  with  my  heavenly  Father 
about  these  things." 


Further  Experiences.  1 13 


CHAPTER  V. 

FURTHER  EXPERIENCES  AND  DEEDS  AS  A  PRESIDING 

ELDER. 

t 

The  session  of  his  conference,  for  1829.  met  on  the 
first  of  June  in  New  Berlin,  elected  Bro.  Seybert 
a  second  time  to  the  office  of  Presiding  Elder,  and 
assigned  him  to  duty  on  Salem  district,  embracing 
Union.  Centre  and  Somerset  charges  in  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  Lake  circuit,  in  the  State  of 
New  York.  He  was  also  elected  Trustee  of  the  fund 
created  by  legacies  bequeathed  to  the  Evangelical 
Association,  whereupon  he  prayed  for  a  special  wis- 
dom to  perform  the  duties  of  this  new  trust  to  the 
best  interests  of  the  Church. 

During-  this  conference  session  a  somewhat  amus- 
ing  incident  occurred.  Sevbert  with  several  other 
ministers  was  sitting  one  evening  on  the  piazza  of 
Mr.  Maize's  house,  where  they  were  being  entertained, 
quietly  conversing  on  religious  topics  among  them- 
selves and  with  the  family,  when  a  vicious  neighbor, 
named  Maurer,  came  up  Penn's  creek,  on  the  banks 
of  which  Michael  Maize's  house  was  situated,  for  the 
purpose  of  annoying  the  brethren.  He  was  a  fiddler, 
and  stationing  himself  near  where  they  were  sitting, 
began  to  play  some  giddy  dancing  airs.  This  he 
knew  would  annoy  these  plain  gentlemen,  but  they 
were  not  long  in  divining  his  purpose.  Accordingly, 
8 


ii4 


Life  and  Labors  of  Joint  Scybert. 


while  he  was  vigorously  engaged  in  playing  his  dan- 
cing airs,  they  began  to  sing  in  a  hearty  manner,  "Our 
dying  day  is  coming  on".  They  sang  so  lustily  that 
the  violin  could  no  longer  be  heard,  and  the  discon- 
certed musician,  with  a  chop-fallen  scowl,  thrust  his 
fiddle  under  his  arm  and  trudged  angrily  away, 
muttering  some  harmless  imprecations  upon  the  men 
who  had  so  signally  defeated  him.  They  fairly  sang 
him  down.  He  must  have  been  a  miserable  creature. 
He  committed  suicide  soon  afterwards. 

After  conference,  on  account  of  some  business, 
Bro.  Seybert  returned  once  more  to  Liken's  Valley. 
Arriving  there  he  found  that  in  his  absence,  the  devil, 
through  his  willing  creatures,  had  scattered  a  whole 
pack  of  lies  about  him.  One  story  ran  that  Seybert 
had  a  wife  and  children  somewhere,  whom  he  did  not 
support,  and  that  he  was  in  communication  with  bad 
characters.  Another  was  to  the  effect  that  he  had 
stolen  a  horse  and  saddle  from  his  father.  Seybert 
remarks: 

"  These  lies  would  never  have  been  circulated 
about  me,  had  not  a  genuine  work  of  grace  broken 
out  in  that  section,  wherein  many  sinners  were 
snatched  as  brands  from  the  burnings  and  happily 
converted  deep  into  eternal  life.  This  is  what  made 
the  old  father  of  lies  scatter  these  stories  concerning 
the  poor  itinerant." 

During  this  trip  Bro.  Seybert  fell  into  an  earnest 
dispute  with  a  Lutheran  woman,  who  was  rather  bold, 
and  unceremoniously  attacked  the  Presiding  Elder  on 
various  points,  expressing  her  dissent  in  very  positive 


Further  Experiences. 


"5 


terms.  She  seemed  specially  intent  on  establishing 
the  assertion  that  there  were  no  saints  living  in  that 
day,  and  that  none  ever  lived  who  were  "not  afraid 
of  thunder".  Bro.  Seybert  tried  to  show  her  from 
Scripture,  that  the  true  Christian  has  no  occasion  to 
fear,  or  to  live  in  constant  trepidation  and  anxiety. 
Pefect  love  casteth  out  all  fear  that  hath  torment. 
The  loud  thunders  may  momentarily  frighten  timid 
souls,  or  startle  nervous  people,  but  they  still  have  no 
actual  fear,  if  they  are  true  children  of  God,  who  trust 
in  their  Heavenly  Father  as  they  should.  He  was 
however,  apparently  making  no  impression  upon  her. 
At  last  he  happened  to  espy  an  old  Lutheran  hymn- 
book,  lying  near  him,  which  he  quickly  seized  and 
began  to  read  to  her  from  its  pages:  — 

''Roll,  ye  dread  thunders,  in  majesty  rumble, 
Shake,  in  your  wrath,  the  dark  clouds  over  head  : 
Smite  with  your  might, 
'Till  quaketh  the  earth,  neath  the  shock  — 
Still  standeth  my  faith  on  the  Rock." 

The  woman  thought,  her  "faith"  would  stand  firm 
too:  she  agreed  with  the  poet.  Then  Seybert  read 
on: — 

"  Darken  the  heavens,  ye  storm-clouds,  with  blackness ; 

Terrify  earth  with  the  hurricane's  roar  : 

Rush,  }-e  mad  floods  ; 

Break  o'er  thy  bounds,  0  wild  sea, 

Your  power  alarmeth  not  me  ! " 

The  woman  said,  what  she  dreaded  about  a  storm 
wasn't  the  thunder  so  much  as  the  frightful  lightning. 
He  read  again: — 


1 1 6  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


"  Flash,  ye  quick  lightnings,  like  a  sword  from  its  scabbard! 

Pour  your  hot  fires  from  the  vials  of  wrath 

On  the  doomed  world  ; 

Shoot  from  the  bow  the  swift  dart : 

Yet  shall  peace  dwell  in  my  heart !  " 

"Oh  yes,"  she  interrupted  again,  " if  a  person  hadn't 
any  sins  anymore, — but  who  that  is  not  free  from  sin, 
can  witness  such  a  scene  without  fear?" 

"Why,  listen!"  says  Seybert,  and  reads  on: — 

"  Jesus  the  mighty,  hath  pardoned  my  sinnings  ! 
I  am  saved  from  all  sin  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ! 

He  is  my  Friend, 
Holds  o'er  me  his  banner,  beneath  me  his  arm, 
So  nought  can  my  spirit  alarm  ! " 

The  woman  admitted  that  probably  such  a  defiance 
of  a  thunder-storm  might  be  possible,  if  one  is  in 
such  a  state  of  grace  as  the  poet  here  describes  and 
professes  to  enjoy,  but  such  people  are  scarce  now- 
a-days.  Bro.  Seybert,  however,  confidently  assured 
her  that  there  were  already  quite  a  number  right 
there  in  Liken's  valley,  who  were  gloriously  and 
consciously  saved  in  Jesus,  and  that  their  number 
was  rapidly  increasing.  He  was  right.  Gradually 
that  valley  became  a  truly  Christian  community. 
The  old  lady  could  not  resist  the  double  argument  of 
her  own  hymn-book  and  of  the  logic  of  facts  around 
her,  and  was  silent. 

July  7th,  1829,  was  his  thirty-eighth  birth-day,  on 
which  he  visited  an  aged  saint,  seventy-five  years  old. 
The  brother  was  so  feeble  as  to  be  almost  helpless. 
While  relating  his  Christian  experience,  he  was  so 


Further  Experiences. 


117 


powerful!}-  blessed  that  he  sank  from  his  chair  under 
the  weight  of  glory  that  tilled  his  soul. 

In  September,  during*  a  blessed  camp-meeting, 
Bro.  Seybert  was  one  day  engaged  in  baptizing  a 
number  of  persons,  immediately  before  celebrating 
the  Lord's  Supper.  While  engaged  in  this  solemn 
ceremony,  a  woman  came  into  the  meeting  terribly 
enraged,  because  the  evening  before  her  husband 
had  been  converted.  Just  as  Seybert  was  about  to 
offer  the  prayer  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  she 
came  in,  picked  up  a  stone  and  attempted  to  pound 
her  kneeling  spouse,  who  was  one  of  the  candidates 
for  baptism,  upon  the  head.  Several  brethren  inter- 
fered and  prevented  her  from  executing  her  brutal 
purpose,  when  she  began  to  pound  the  altar,  and 
screamed  like  a  demoniac,  cursing  and  swearing  in  a 
most  blasphemous  manner,  in  the  midst  of  solemn 
worship.  Finally,  finding  that  she  failed  to  break 
up  the  service  in  this  way,  this  feminine  demon  drew 
from  the  folds  of  her  clothes,  where  she  had  concealed 
it,  a  large,  murderous  butcher-knife,  wrapped  in  rags. 
While  she  was  unwrapping  it,  some  one  dexterously 
snatched  it  out  of  her  hands.  This  made  her  fairly 
wild.  She  charged  that  her  husband  had  been 
seduced  from  his  "faith"  by  these  people,  and  now 
the  whole  family  would  go  to  hell!  She  was  going 
to  kill  herself.  At  length  the  friends  succeeded  in 
removing  her  from  the  grounds. 

Bro.  Seybert  later  reports  the  following  happy 
sequel : 

Several   years   afterwards   this  woman  came  to 


1 1 8  Life  and  Labors  of  yohn  Seybert. 


another  camp-meeting  on  the  same  grounds.  She 
came  in  just  as  he  was  preaching.  She  took  a  seat, 
and  stared  hard  at  the  preacher,  while  he  in  turn 
looked  upon  her  with  pity.  The  Lord  blessed  His 
word.  The  woman  fell  into  great  distress  of  soul, 
began  to  plead  for  pardon,  and  was  saved.  The 
change  in  life  and  manner  was  remarkable.  "The 
Lord  hath  done  this.    Hallelujah!"  he  exclaimed. 

The  following  incident  throws  a  curious  side-light 
upon  the  morals  of  the  German  ecclesiastics  of  that 
time: 

On  a  certain  occasion  our  Evangelical  people  at  a 
certain  place  had  a  meeting  where  the  schoolmaster 
and  organist  of  the  church  partook  of  the  communion 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  with  them,  and  otherwise  par- 
ticipated actively  in  the  services.  This  created  a 
great  furore  among  his  brethren.  They  accordingly 
met  with  their  minister  at  a  tavern  or  liquor  house  to 
hold  a  church  trial.  It  was,  by  the  way,  a  most  suit- 
able and  congenial  place,  since  the  church  was  made 
up  of  swearers  and  beer-guzzlers.  After  drinking 
deep  draughts  of  the  distilled  nectar  of  death,  they 
summoned  the  aforesaid  organist  before  them,  to  call 
him  to  account  for  his  conduct.  When  the  culprit 
appeared,  they  charged  him  with  the  crime  of  having 
prayed  on  his  knees  at  one  of  these  Evangelical 
prayer-meetings,  and  partaking  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per with  them.  As  he  manifested  no  sorrow,  and 
would  not  promise  to  "do  better",  the  parson  solemnly 
declared  him  to  be  a  fanatic,  a  heretic  and  a  reprobate. 
The   church  expelled  him,  and,  declaring  him  un- 


Further  Experiences. 


119 


worthy  to  serve  it  any  longer,  he  was  then  and  there 
deposed  from  his  positions  as  schoolmaster  and  or- 
ganist!— And  this  in  Christian  America  in  the  nine- 
teenth century! 

Some  days  after  the  conference  session  of  1830, 
which  returned  Bro.  Seybert  to  Salem  district,  he  was 
troubled  with  a  remarkable  feeling  of  spiritual  poverty. 
Under  this  feeling  he  withdrew  from  all  society  and 
sought  solitude  in  a  forest,  where  he  wrestled  all  day 
until  the  sun  set.  Even  then,  only  the  fact  that  he 
had  to  preach,  drove  the  weary  wrestler  back  to  the 
dwellings  of  men.  Trembling  with  fear  he  appeared 
before  his  congregation,  and  began  in  great  weakness 
to  speak.  Soon,  however,  "the  Lord  sent  the  light 
from  the  glory  world  into  his  soul",  and  he  spoke  with 
such  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power,  that  a 
young  man  in  the  congregation  fell  upon  his  knees  in 
deep  conviction,  and  began  to  cry  for  mercy.  In  a  few 
minutes  more  an  old  sinner  in  his  ninetieth  year  also 
broke  down,  and  pleaded  for  mercy.  These  were  the 
trophies  he  had  wrung  from  the  enemy,  during  the  long, 
single-handed  struggle  in  the  woods  that  afternoon. 

The  fourth  General  Conference  was  held  in  Novem- 
ber of  1830.  in  Centre  Co.,  Penna.  There  were  but 
eight  members  composing  that  body.  Joseph  Long 
acted  as  Chairman,  and  John  Seybert  as  Secretary. 
Very  important  business  was  transacted,  especially  in 
regard  to  the  Discipline  and  the  articles  of  faith  of 
our  Church. 

He  closed  the  year  1830  with  this  retrospective 
remark : 


120 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


"Dec.  31,  1830.  This  day  closed  the  year  A.  D. 
1830,  which  has  been  full  of  labors  and  experiences. 
I  have  traveled  three  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
twenty-four  miles  during  the  past  year  (on  horseback), 
and  the  Lord  has  been  very  good  to  me.  I  feel 
moved  to  prayer  and  adoration  in  deep  humility 
before  God,  because  He  has  been  so  kind,  good  and 
merciful  unto  me,  and  has  frequently  permitted  me 
to  preach  the  Word  with  great  liberty.  I  have 
had  good  health,  and  all  things  necessary  thereto. 
Blessed,  adored  and  praised  be  His  glorious  Name  in 
time  and  in  eternity!" 

On  March  8th,  1831  he  accidentally  came  into  a 
meeting  of  English  speaking  people.  Unexpectedly 
their  preacher  failed  to  come,  and  they  wanted  Bro. 
Seybert  to  preach.  But  to  preach  in  German  was  out 
of  the  question.  Seeing  there  was  here  a  case  of 
necessity,  he  concluded  that  under  such  circumstances 
a  stammering  and  imperfect  English  would  answer. 
Accordingly  he  undertook  it,  and  preached  his  second 
English  sermon.  During  this  broken  effort  he  pres- 
ently began  to  feel  the  blessing  of  God  mightily 
upon  his  soul,  and  God's  children  were  blessed. 
Before  he  closed  a  youth  fell  into  distress  of  soul, 
which  did  much  to  encourage  him  to  try  the  English 
again  under  similar  circumstances:  for  this  was  his 
chief  concern,  that  sinners  be  converted. 

In  April  one  day,  he  visited  a  sister  eighty-four 
-years  of  age,  who  had  served  the  Lord  for  many 
years.  He  prayed  with  her,  and  was  delighted  to 
find  that,  though  she  was  very  feeble  physically,  yet 


Further  Experiences. 


121 


she  was  very  strong  in  faith,  in  love  and  in  the  power 
of  God.  She  became  truly  happy  during-  the  inter- 
view, and  he  found  her  familiar  with  the  Word  of  God, 
and  deeply  experienced  in  divine  things.  "  When 
the  Lord  blessed  her.  she  expressed  herself  with  holy 
laughter,  such  as  is  mentioned  in  the  one  hundred 
and  twenty-sixth  Psalm.  She  is  a  pious  widow,  wait- 
ing for  her  release,  as  Hannah  and  Simeon  of  old 
waited  for  the  consolation  of  Israel." 

Here  is  a  characteristic  incident  : 

Some  time  in  September,  Bro.  Seybert  came  to 
Brush  Valley,  where  he  learned  that  the  officers  of 
the  law  were  about  to  sell  the  home  of  a  certain  poor 
widow,  in  payment  of  a  debt  her  late  husband  had 
left.  Seybert,  who  was  of  a  very  benevolent  disposi- 
tion, thought  the  matter  all  over  carefully,  secured  all 
the  information  concerning  the  case  possible,  and 
determined  within  himself  to  relieve  the  unfortunate 
woman. 

On  the  day  of  sale  he  promptly  appeared  in  the 
crowd,  and  bid  for  the  house,  until  he  was  declared 
the  buyer.  Upon  this  he  said  to  the  Sheriff,  ''Please 
deed  the  property  back  to  the  widow",  which  the 
astonished  officer  proceeded  to  do,  and  Seybert  paid 
the  debt  in  cash,  so  that  the  house  belonged  hence- 
forth to  the  widow  without  encumbrance.  The  sur- 
prised and  overjoyed  woman  was  anxious  to  know 
how  she  should  repay  her  clerical  benefactor,  who 
had  indeed  proved  himself  a  friend  in  need,  though  a 
stranger.  His  reply  was,  "  I  want  you  to  lead  a  pious, 
godly  life  now,  avoid  luxury,  extravagance  and  every 


122  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


evil  forbidden  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  if  you  think 
you  can  pay  me  back  in  small  annual  instalments,  all 
right."  She  stated  how  much  she  thought  she  could 
pay  every  year.  He  replied,  "  If  you  can  do  that,  it's 
all  right,  and  if  you  can't,  it's  all  right  anyhow."  She 
paid  him  back  in  small  annual  instalments,  without 
interest,  and  he  was  satisfied.  He  had  lent  it  to  the 
Lord. 

In  October  of  this  year  (1831)  his  official  duties 
brought  him  for  the  first  time  to  Niagara.  He  stopped 
to  view  this  great  natural  wonder,  was  deeply 
impressed  with  it,  and  was  led  to  contemplate  the 
majesty  and  power  of  the  great  God. 

In  the  same  month  he  had  a  remarkably  powerful 
Quarterly  meeting  on  the  Mohawk  river  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  during  which  he  received  twenty-five 
persons  into  the  church.  Seventeen  members  from 
the  class  near  Niagara  Falls,  had  come  sixty  miles  to 
attend  this  meeting,  and  one  sister  had  come  ninety - 
two  miles.  The  sister,  he  says,  was  specially  blessed 
of  God  during  the  meeting.  No  wonder  they  had 
glorious  Quarterly  meetings  in  the  days  of  yore, 
when  the  people  went  such  distances,  underwent  such 
sacrifices,  and  came  together  in  such  numbers  and  in 
such  zeal.    Is  it  not  worthy  of  modern  imitation? 

During  this  year  Seybert  traveled  four  thousand 
three  hundred  and  fifty-six  miles,  preached  two 
hundred  and  seventy-one  times,  and  baptized  thirty- 
eight  persons. 

Saturday,  April  21st,  1832,  was  begun  the  first 
'big  meeting'  in  Log  House,  Lycoming  Co.,  Pa.  On 


Further  Experiences. 


123 


Saturday  the  services  were  held  in  Bro.  Sindlineer's 
house,  but  on  Sunday  the}-  met  in  a  church.  Many 
people  were  present,  and  James  Barber  preached  from 
i.  Cor.  5:7,  8.  There  was  much  weeping.  They 
then  celebrated  the  Lord's  Supper  after  baptizing 
three  children  and  one  adult.  This  was  the  first 
Evangelical  communion  service  in  those  parts.  On 
Sunday  night  Seybert  preached  and  gave  an  invita- 
tion, when  sixteen  persons  joined  the  church.  He 
organized  them  into  a  class,  and  they  elected  Bro. 
J.  M.  Sindlinger  as  their  class  leader.*  He  remained 
five  days,  baptized  a  number  of  children,  preached 
nine  times,  held  two  prayer-meetings,  married  one 
couple,  and  received  in  all  twenty-one  members  into 
church  fellowship,  besides  leaving  many  in  the  com- 
munity who  were  serious  and  thoughtful. 

About  this  time  Seybert  began  to  urge  the  need 
of  parsonages,  and  was  successful  in  having  them 
erected  upon  the  various  charges  of  his  district.  He 
was  a  pioneer  also  in  this  matter,  though  he  never 
expected  to  be  under  the  necessity  of  using  a  par- 
sonage himself,  for  it  was  his  firm  resolve  to  remain  a 
celibate  at  least  so  long  as  lie  should  continue  in  the 
itinerancy.  He  was  unalterably  opposed,  as  is  well 
known,  to  all  extravagance,  but  he  advocated  sub- 
stantial and  comfortable  living  for  the  ministry,  and 
was  anxious  that  everything,  the  temporalities  of  the 
church  not  excepted,  be  conducted  decently  and  in 
order.    He  believed  the  ministry  of  the  Evangelical 


*  Bro.  Sindlinger  afterwards  became  a  prominent  and  successful 
minister  of  the  Gospel,  who  died  in  October,  1883. 


124  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


Association  would  be  the  more  efficient  if  their  tem- 
poral wants  were  adequately  provided  for. 

Nov.  27th  he  preached  in  the  northern  part  of  New 
York,  on  the  Mohawk,  in  a  school-house,  to  a  con- 
gregation of  Methodists  and  enlightened  Lutherans. 
He  was  kindly  entertained,  during  his  stay,  by  Mr.  J. 
Dunkel,  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church.  Mr.  Dunkel 
was  a  very  wealthy  man,  who,  before  his  conversion, 
had  been  the  possessor  of  slaves.  However,  when 
the  Lord  delivered  him  and  his  family  from  the 
slavery  of  sin,  and  translated  them  into  the  marvellous 
light  and  liberty  of  the  people  of  God,  he  forthwith 
also  liberated  his  slaves. 

They  had  an  extraordinary  'big  meeting'  in  this 
vicinity  about  this  time.  The  friends  had  come  a 
distance  of  eighty-five  miles  from  the  north,  fifty 
miles  from  the  east,  and  similar  distances  from  other 
directions. 

Bro.  Seybert  was  a  born  missionary.  Whenever 
he  found  intervals  of  respite  between  his  regular  ap- 
pointments, he  spent  them  in  explorations.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  Spring  of  1833,  he  made  a  prospecting 
tour  to  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.,  in  which  he  nearly  froze. 
But  of  his  experience  among  the  people  he  makes  the 
following  observation:  "The  people  were  to  some 
degree  attracted  by  my  labors,  but  they  are  an  atro- 
ciously wicked  set,  being  a  new  demonstration  of  the 
well  known  proverb:  'Like  preacher  like  people'. 
For  some  of  them  complained  to  me  concerning  their 
preacher,  that  he  is  dissolute  and  unspeakably  wicked. 
They  said,  he  was  so  passionate  that  on  the  least  pro- 


Further  Experiences. 


vocation  he  would  stamp  his  feet  and  swear  horribly 
to  vent  his  rage.  Besides  he  often  became  beastly 
drunk!    Surely  a  worthless  preacher." 

Here  is  another  letter,  which  details  many  interest- 
ing experiences,  which  we  give  therefore  in  full: 

"  Lewisburg,  Union  Co.,  Pa.,  March  9th,  1833. 

Dear  Bro.  Rein: — Beloved  in  the  Lord! — I  write 
to  let  you  know  that  since  I  left  you  in  Reading  last, 
I  have  been  well,  and  am  firmly  resolved  to  serve  the 
Lord  while  I  live. 

"We  are  having  good  times  generally  in  our  meet- 
ings on  my  district,  especially  in  Centre  county^ 
where  a  great  revival  of  religion  has  begun  among 
the  Lutherans  and  Reformed.  It  has  been  spiritually 
dark  beyond  description  in  these  parts.  On  Sundays 
before  their  divine  service  —  rather  idol  worship — it 
has  been  their  custom  to  visit  the  saloons,  drink  a 
goodly  draught  of  brandy,  and  then,  after  the  trifling 
pastime,  they  call  the  worship  of  God,  was  over,  they 
would  return  to  the  saloon.  The  rest  of  the  Lord's 
day  was  then  spent  in  barbarous  carousals,  sometimes 
deliberately  breaking  in  the  head  of  a  whiskey  barrel, 
so  that  they  might  drink  more  freely.  Often  the 
bacchanal  ended  in  some  brutal  fight  until  some  were 
half  dead.  Many  of  their  pastors  were  no  better; 
they  called  these  abominable  wretches  'good Christians', 
comforting  them  in  their  sins,  and  vehemently  warn- 
ing them  to  beware  of  the  influence  of  the  'Meth- 
odists' and  'Albrights'.  But  the  Lord  has  blessed 
His  Word  proclaimed  by  us,  and  our  services  have 
been  a  great  blessing  to  this  benighted  people.  We 


126  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


have  also  introduced  camp- meetings,  greatly  to  the 
benefit  of  this  region.  First  we  obtained  access  to  a 
school-house  in  Brush  Valley.  Soon  a  number  of 
neighbors  opened  their  houses,  and  a  great  work 
began  there.  In  Sugar  Valley  we  have  had  two 
camp-meetings,  at  which  many  have  been  saved. 
From  there  the  fire  got  unto  Nittany  Valley,  and  set 
the  Philistines'  corn-fields  on  fire,  and  in  Penn's  Valley 
the  fire  is  likewise  burning  gloriously.  The  '  dumb 
dogs',  of  whom  Isaiah  speaks,  barked  furiously  and 
growled  savagely  too,  at  our  preachers  and  our  pray- 
ing people.  But  they  have  already  changed  their 
tune.  Since  the  senseless  black-guarding  did  not 
help  their  cause,  they  began  to  preach  repentance  too! 
They  publicly  admitted  that  their  churches  were  in  a 
state  of  disintegration  and  decline,  because  of  internal, 
moral  and  spiritual  corruption,  and  they  avowed  their 
purpose  to  begin  a  reformation  themselves  at  once. 
To  make  the  matter  still  more  plausible,  they  sent  for 
some  of  their  preachers  from  a  distance,  who  played 
the  role  of  evangelists,  begging  the  people  passion- 
ately not  to  leave  'the  church',  for  it  will  now  be 
cleansed.  This  was  a  trick  of  the  devil,  by  which  it 
was  hoped  to  rock  the  awakened  ones  to  sleep  again. 
Still  one  by  one  they  are  leaving  Babylon,  and  the 
redeemed  are  coming  to  Zion.  They  throw  away 
their  fashionable  regalia  of  the  devil's  uniform,  'laying 
aside  every  weight  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily 
beset  them'.  They  walk  by  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ, 
shouting  Hosanna's  and  Hallelujah's  as  they  go  with 
Israel  through  the  wilderness.    It  will  not  do  to  yoke 


Further  Experiences, 


127 


believers  with  unbelievers,  and  therefore  they  are 
comma-  out  from  among-  them. 

"Near  Buffalo,  New  York,  I  also  had  abundant 
success.  Fifteen  sinners  were  converted  in  one  of 
our  meetings,  and  many  others  are  seeking-  the  Lord. 
O  what  a  time  of  weeping  and  wailing  and  woe- 
begone crying  for  mercy!  We  have  two  preachers 
at  work  there  now,  and  the  work  of  the  Lord  is  pros- 
pering in  their  hands. 

(i  Last  Fall  I  made  a  tour  through  that  State  as  far 
as  Albany,  where  a  great  work  of  conversion  is  going 
on  amone  the  Lutherans  and  Reformed.  Of  course, 
the  devil  got  mad  there  too,  just  as  he  always  does 
where  people  are  being  converted.  I  was  greatly 
blessed  in  preaching  among  these  people,  and  realized 
the  power  of  God  to  such  a  degree,  that  I  felt  lifted 
up  above  all  earthly  things,  and  my  soul  was  basking 
in  the  glory  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  While  I  was 
preaching,  many  became  spiritually  drunken;  some 
began  to  prophesy,  praising  God  aloud,  while  peni- 
tents wept  freely.  I  also  found  here  a  class  of  humble 
Methodists.  I  had  never  before  found  their  equal  for 
simplicity  of  manner  and  plainness  of  attire.  I 
preached  for  them  and  we  had  a  blessed  time.  I 
inquired  of  them,  how  they  had  managed  so  effectu- 
ally to  keep  the  fashions  of  the  world  out  of  their 
society,  and  was  told,  they  were  under  a  mutual 
agreement  not  to  permit  fashion  to  obtain  a  foot-hold 
among  them. 

"  With  greeting  for  yourself  and  family,  I  am 

Your  friend  and  brother,         John  Seybert." 


128  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


April  6th,  he  came  to  Womelsdorf,  where,  a  very 
few  years  ago,  pious  people  were  extremely  scarce. 
But,  by  the  help  of  the  Lord,  our  preachers  have 
gained  an  entrance,  and  a  revival  of  religion  has 
resulted.  The  persecutors  tried  clubs  and  stones  on 
God's  children,  but  the  more  the  sons  of  Belial  raved, 
the  firmer  the  converted  people  became,  and  the 
more  the  little  flock  increased.— 

In  May,  1833,  Bro.  Seybert  took  his  departure 
from  Salem  district,  preaching  a  farewell  sermon  on 
his  last  round,  in  which  he  exhorted  the  people  to  be 
faithful,  to  abhor  all  evil,  to  have  the  fear  of  God 
before  their  eyes  continually,  and  above  all,  to  avoid 
pride  and  vanity  of  life —  particularly  in  dress,  and  to 
serve  the  Lord  in  humility  of  heart  and  appearance. 
During  the  delivery  of  this  sermon  on  various  occa- 
sions, the  power  of  God  was  so  mightily  manifested, 
that,  as  he  himself  bluntly  expressed  it,  "pride  got 
sick"/  and  many  were  the  useless  ornaments  of 
gayety  that  were  thrown  off.  Whereupon  he  shouts, 
"Hallelujah"  ! 


The  First  Missionary, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  FIRST  MISSIONARY  OF  THE  EVANGELICAL  ASSOCIATION. 

At  the  session  of  the  Eastern  conference,  in  1833,. 
after  having  served  two  consecutive  terms  as  Presid- 
ing Elder,  Bro.  Seybert  offered  himself  to  the  confer- 
ence as  a  missionary,  provided  the  conference  thought 
it  proper  to  send  him  in  that  capacity.  It  was 
accordingly  ordered  that  he  should  spend  the  ensuing 
conference  year  in  explorations  and  pioneer  work  in 
the  north-western  portion  of  Pennsylvania,  and  open 
up  new  fields  of  operation.  It  was  thus,  that  Bishop 
Seybert  became  the  first  regularly  appointed  mission- 
ary of  the  Evangelical  Association.  It  was  indeed 
true,  that  he  had  never  been  anything  but  a  mission- 
ary, from  the  time  he  entered  the  ministry.  That 
was  the  character  of  the  man  and  of  his  work,  whether 
in  charge  of  a  circuit,  administering  the  affairs  of  a 
district,  or  laboring  as  a  formally  appointed  and  regu- 
larly sent  missionary.  That  was,  indeed,  and  is  yet 
the  character  of  the  work  of  the  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion. It  is  a  missionary  church;  its  work  is  mission- 
ary work.  It  cannot  be  anything  else  and  fulfill  its 
calling.  Its  constitution  forbids  a  merely  conservative 
attitude;  its  circumstances  preclude  dependence  upon 
wealth  and  popularity.  It  must  be  aggressive,  or  die 
spiritually  and  ecclesiastically.  It  is  made  to  push 
"into  the  regions  beyond".  Otherwise  there  is 
clearly  no  room  and  no  occasion  for  the  Evangelical 
JPi  9  • 


130  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert 


Association  among  the  ecclesiastical  "Establish- 
ments ".  Should  we  ever  lose  the  spirit  of  Paul 
and  of  our  own  church-fathers  —  the  spirit  of  the 
Master's  "last  and  great  command"  the  Evangelicar 
Association  is  doomed  to  become  effete  and  corrupt. 

John  Seybert  was  the  typical  Evangelical  preacher, 
alias  missionary.  Not  a  year  of  his  public  life  passed 
that  he  did  not  seek  new  fields  for  Evangelical  culti- 
vation. He  was  not,  he  could  not  be  content  to 
merely  serve  the  regular  appointments  which  he  had 
received  from  his  predecessors.  Nor  were  his  efforts 
unsuccessful.  Each  year  he  brougth  the  light  of  the 
truth  to  some  benighted  regions,  and  added  them  to 
his  circuit  or  district.  —  A  ^  station  "  was  unknown  in 
those  days,  in  the  Evangelical  Association,  and  Bro. 
Seybert  never  had  the  privilege  of  serving  one  in  his 
life.  —  He  cared  nothing  for  hardships  nor  exposure; 
the  threatenings  of  the  opposition  did  not  alarm  him; 
he  was  not  deterred  by  the  great  moral  darkness  in 
any  city  or  rural  community;  obstacles  did  not  dis- 
courage him.  In  his  peculiarly  quiet  way,  with  a 
composed  manner  that  came  from  an  all-conquering 
faith  in  God,  he  went  forward  with  dauntless  courage, 
preaching  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  from  house  to 
house,  and  to  the  gathered  throngs,  and  it  proved  a 
savor  of  life  unto  life  to  many. 

But  this  year  his  work  was  formally  and  officially  a 
missionary  enterprise.  Since,  however,  our  church  at 
that  time  had  no  organized  missionary  society,  and 
had  not  as  yet  established  any  nominal  missions,  his 
charge  was  called  "Erie  circuit". 

o 


The  First  Missionary. 


On  leaving  conference  on  this  occasion,  he  wrote 
under  elate  of  June  12th: 

44  To-day  I  set  out  for  my  appointed  mission-field 
in  the  north-western  part  of  my  native  State.  I  go 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  preach  a  pure 
Gospel  to  the  baptized  German  heathen  there,  by  the 
help  of  God." 

On  account  of  a  necessary  business  trip  to  the 
State  of  Xew  York,  he  did  not  reach  the  territory 
assigned  him  until  July  12th.  He  was  kindly  re- 
ceived by  a  gentleman  named  Gingrich,  near  the  city 
of  Erie,  Pa.,  and  entertained  with  generous  hospi- 
tality. This  encouraged  him.  He  began  his  work 
immediately  after  arriving.  He  spent  Saturday  visit- 
ing from  house  to  house,  and  thus  effectually  prepared 
the  way  for  his  efforts  on  Sunday.  Sunday  he 
preached  in  the  morning  in  a  private  house,  and 
twice  in  the  afternoon  in  two  different  school-houses, 
—  at  1  o'clock  and  at  4.  By  this  time  he  had  open 
doors  in  abundance.  His  visitations  on  Saturday, 
from  early  morning  till  late  at  night,  conversing  on 
religion  and  praying  with  the  people  wherever  suit- 
able, paved  the  way,  and  gave  him  such  read}-  access 
to  the  people.  Three  days  more  were  now  spent  in 
this  community  in  a  similar  manner.  He  inquired 
personally  and  closely  into  the  spiritual  condition  of 
the  people,  and  specially  won  their  good-will  by 
speaking  kindly  to  every  child  in  the  household. 
After  preaching  on  Wednesday  night,  and  securing 
permanently  a  place  to  hold  their  services,  he  de- 
parted into  Mercer  county,  but  soon  returned  to  the 


* 

132  Life  and  Laboi's  of  "John  Seybert, 


work  near  Erie,  where  he  preached  four  times  on  one 
Sunday,  and  then  could  not  meet  all  the  demands  that 
were  made  upon  him. 

He  had  to  suffer  a  little  persecution  one  day  in 
October,  from  a  wicked  man,  who  abused  Seybert, 
without  the  latter  knowing,  or  being  able  to  discover 
why.  It  had  the  effect,  however,  to  draw  him  closer 
to  God,  and  he  was  enabled  to  pray  for  his  unreason- 
able enemy.  In  the  evening  there  was  still  another 
enemy  to  trouble  him.  At  first  he  blackguarded 
him,  and  when  he  knew  of  nothing  more  to  say,  he 
reproached  him  with  being  a  'bachelor  .  Seybert 
says:  "I  presume,  he  meant  to  insinuate  that  I  was 
single  because  I  could  not  get  a  wife,  in  which  he 
was,  however,  greatly  mistaken.  I  quietly  replied, 
'St.  Paul  was  the  foremost  among  the  Apostles,  and 
one  of  the  holiest  of  men,  and  he  was  not  married 
either,  being  thus  enabled  to  do  the  more  in  the  vine- 
yard of  the  Lord.  My  tormentor  now  referred  to 
Solomon,  wrho  was  reputed  the  wisest  man  that  ever 
lived,  and  he  had  even  more  than  one  wife!  I  inter- 
posed that  while  Solomon  was  supposed  to  have 
been  a  very  wise  man,  it  was  not  his  polygamy  that 
gave  him  this  reputation.  Solomon  became  a  back- 
slider and  a  fool  — for  all  backsliders  are  fools;  but 
Paul  remained  faithful  unto  death  without  a  wife,  and 
certainly  behaved  more  wisely  than  Solomon.  This 
ended  the  discussion."  ■ 

He  had,  in  the  course  of  time,  obtained  a  foot-hold 
near  Lake  Conneaut,  Crawford  Co.,  Pa.,  where  he 
preached  in  a  certain  school-house  that  belonged  to 


The  First  Missionary. 


V33 


two  different  parties.  The  edifice  was  well  arranged 
for  preaching  services,  being  provided  with  a  pulpit 
and  convenient  seats.  The  first  time  he  preached 
there  a  leading  man  of  one  of  the  parties  concerned, 
was  deeply  affected,  and  began  to  talk  to  his  neigh- 
bors about  living  a  better  life.  This  caused  uneasi- 
ness in  the  community,  but  the  opposition  became 
more  pronounced  when  this  man  with  several  others 
undertook  to  hold  prayer-meetings,  and  it  was  forth- 
with declared  that  Seybert  should  not  have  the  use 
of  the  school-house  any  longer. 

When  the  missionary  arrived  there  again  Sunday 
morning,  he  found  a  great  crowd  of  people  gathered 
in  front  of  the  building,  quarreling  excitedly  about 
his  preaching  there.  A  majority  of  the  one  party 
claiming  ownership  were  in  favor  of  letting  him  in, 
but  of  the  other  party  a  majority  were  opposed  to  it. 
However,  in  this  opposition  party  the  most  influential 
men  belonged  to  the  minority,  who  were  in  favor  of 
admitting  Seybert.  Fearing  he  should  be  admitted, 
one  man  had  run  in  and  closed  the  pulpit  door,  when 
another  as  quickly  tore  it  open  again,  determined  to 
get  him  into  the  pulpit.  Upon  this  the  opposition 
declared  with  fearful  imprecations  they  would  cut  the 
house  in  two,  and  roll  their  half  away,  and  the  others 
might  do  with  their  half  what  they  chose.  At  this 
juncture  Bro.  Seybert  interposed,  and,  turning  to 
those  who  had  been  awakened,  counselled  peace, 
urged  them  to  yield,  and  suggested  to  hold  the  meet- 
ing elsewhere,  which  was  accordingly  done  and  the 
meeting  was  held  in  a  private  house. 


134  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Scybert. 


The  night  following  this  occurrence,  he  dreamed  he- 
had  lent  his  horse  to  a  boy  to  harrow  a  ploughed 
field  with,  and  thought  the  beast  became  truant  and 
ran  off  with  the  harrow.  Upon  awakening  he  said  to 
himself,  "Look  out!  these  enlightened  people  will 
not  be  faithful;  they  will  serve  me  as  my  horse  served 
the  boy  in  my  dream,  they  will  run  away."  This  fear 
was  partially  realized.  About  one-half  of  them  be- 
came the  hangers-on  of  another  preacher,  who  inter- 
fered with  Bro.  Seybert's  work  and  robbed  him  of  part 
of  the  results.  Still,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  or- 
ganizing a  respectable  class  before  the  year  closed. 

On  one  of  his  trips  to  Mercer  county  he  dreamed 
of  being  in  a  very  splendid  palace,  in  which,  however, 
a  few  window  lights  in  the  upper  story  were  broken. 
Through  these  openings  some  evil-disposed  persons 
attempted  to  throw  stones  and  water  upon  him,  fail- 
ing, however,  to  hit  him.  He  went  out  and  reproved 
them  sharply,  upon  which  they  looked  at  him  in  a 
mocking,  scornful  manner,  without,  however,  saying 
anything.  Then  he  saw  himself  suddenly  trans- 
planted into  a  lovely  flower-garden,  full  of  the  most 
beautiful  flower-buds,  just  ready  to  open.  But  he 
soon  perceived  another  person  in  the  garden,  who 
was  breaking  off  some  of  those  delightful  buds,  for 
which  he  promptly  reproved  him,  saying,  "  Do  let 
these  buds  alone  until  they  open  of  themselves,  and 
do  not  pluck  them  prematurely."  From  this  dream 
he  expected  that  he  would  find  opposition  in  his 
work,  and  that  it  would  suffer  in  its  most  promising 
condition,  from  hasty  inter-meddlers.    He  also  learned 


The  First  Missionary. 


135 


by  it,  that  "we  should  never  comfort  seekers  of  re- 
ligion too  soon,  but  let  them  experience  the  grace  of 
God  for  themselves.  Comforting  seekers  prematurely 
is  like  plucking  rose-buds  before  they  are  open.  Let 
them  open!" 

During  this  eventful  year,  the  tireless  missionary 
did  a  deed  one  night,  which  is  probably  without  a 
parallel  in  the  annals  of  Christian  work. 

Weary  with  a  long  and  laborious  journey  on  horse- 
back, Seybert  arrived  one  evening  at  a  house  where 
he  expected  to  lodge  and  rest.  He  soon  discovered, 
however,  that  the  family  were  going  to  a  prayer- 
meeting  on  foot,  four  miles  distant,  that  evening. 
Nothing  daunted,  the  wTeary  itinerant  declared  him- 
self determined  to  accompany  them.  They  wTent; 
Seybert  was  induced  to  lead  the  meeting,  which  be- 
came so  interesting  that  it  did  not  close  until  eleven 
o'clock.  The  meeting  over,  they  trudged  the  four 
miles  back  again,  along  the  tortuous  windings  of  a 
primitive  forest  path-way.  Undoubtedly  the  walk 
was  lightened  by  songs  of  praise  that  rang  out  on  the 
stillness  of  the  night  and  re-echoed  amid  the  solemn 
arches  of  the  wijd  wood  temple,  and  was  enlivened 
by  the  recital  of  experience  by  the  vivacious  mission- 
ary. On  arriving,  Seybert  sat  down  by  the  stove, 
manifesting  great  weariness.  It  was  after  midnight. 
He  soon  laid  away  his  heavy,  broad-rimmed  felt  hat 
on  a  bench  beside  him,  took  off  his  coat,  which  he 
hung  upon  a  wooden  pin  in  the  wall  of  the  rude 
mountain  cabin,  and  began  slowly  to  untie  his  shoes, 
preparatory    to    retiring.     Suddenly,    with    a  half- 


1 36  Life  and  Labors  oj  John  Seybert. 


startled  look  upon  his  face,  he  sprang  up,  exclaiming: 
"Just  think!"  In  a  moment  his  shoe  was  retied  and 
the  other  as  quickly  pulled  on  again,  and  before  the 
family  who  were  sitting  by  and  watching  him  could 
recover  sufficiently  from  their  amazement  to  enquire 
what  was  the  matter,  he  seized  his  hat,  explaining, 
"Why,  I  had  promised  to  visit  this  penitent  man 
up  on  the  hill,  last  evening,  and  now  I  had  for- 
gotten it!"  The  man  he  spoke  of  lived  a  mile  away 
in  a  miserable  hut  on  the  summit  of  a  steep  mountain 
that  was  covered  with  briers  and  underbrush.  The 
family  sought  to  detain  him,  saying,  "it  is  now  too 
late,  you  are  tired,  and  the  man  is  in  bed  asleep,"  etc., 
but  the  restless  shepherd  of  souls  would  not  be  de- 
terred from  his  purpose  by  any  such  considerations. 

Though  it  was  one  o'clock  in  the  night,  and  though 
he  was  almost  intolerably  weary,  this  man  must  be 
visited  for  his  soul's  sake.  Reaching  for  the  door- 
latch,  Seybert  hastened  out  into  the  dreary  darkness 
of  the  lonesome  night,  to  seek  one  of  the  lost  sheep 
of  the  house  of  Israel, — 

''Away  on  the  mountains  wild  and  bare, 
Aw  a}'  from  the  tender  Shepherd's  care." 

With  hurried  steps  the  intrepid  missionary  climbed 
the  steep  and  rugged  mountain  side,  through  under- 
brush and  thorns.  Arriving  at  the  low,  one  story 
log-hut,  he  knocked  at  the  humble  door,  waked  the 
man  up  and  remarked  upon  greeting  him,  "I  could 
hardly  keep  my  promise,  but  I  thought,  better  late, 
than  break  it".  It  must  have  been  a  startling  sum- 
mons to  the  sleeping  sinner.     Entering  the  house 


The  First  Missionary. 


1.37 


Seybert  began  immediately  to  talk  with  the  man 
about  the  salvation  of  his  soul.  Presently  he  began 
to  weep  under  the  strong  appeal  of  the  humble  mis- 
sionary. Then  the  two  knelt  together  in  prayer, 
praying  earnestly  until  day-break.  A  little  before 
sunrise,  the  penitent  found  peace  in  believing,  and 
began  to  praise  the  Lord.  Seybert  —  after  rejoicing 
in  the  new  trophy  of  redeeming  grace  —  now  left  and 
started  down  the  hill.  Light-footed  as  a  deer,  he 
fairly  ran  down,  his  face  beaming  with  joy.  and  every- 
thing in  his  manner  full  of  animation,  for  he  had  saved 
a  soul.  As  soon  as  he  got  near  enough  to  his  in- 
tended lodging-place  to  be  understood,  he  shouted 
at  the  top  of  his  voice,  ''What  do  you  think!  TJiat 
man  has  been  born  into  eternal  life  this  morning!" 
They  now  all  hastened  in  their  glad  surprise  to  see 
for  themselves  what  the  Lord  had  done.  There  was 
the  new  convert,  walking  about  the  door-yard,  prais- 
ing the  Lord  with  a  loud  voice,  while  the  sun  poured 
the  virgin  light  of  the  morning  over  the  landscape, 
and  the  birds  sang  their  morning  anthem  to  the  God 
who  made  them.  41  Why!"  exclaimed  the  happy  con- 
vert, "the  whole  earth  has  become  new!" 

"And  all  through  the  mountain,  thunder-riven, 
And  up  from  the  rocky  steep, 
There  rose  a  cry  to  the  gate  of  Heaven  : 
1  Rejoice  !  I  have  found  my  sheep  !' 
And  the  angels  echoed  around  the  throne, 
Rejoice  !  for  the  Lord  brings  back  His  own  ! " 

At  the  close  of  this  eventful  conference-year,  Sey- 
bert prepared  the  following  report  of  Erie  mission, 


138  Life  a7id  Labors  of  John  Seybert 


from  which  it  appears  that  like  his  great  prototype, 
St.  Paul,  he  belonged  to  that  choice  realm  of  high 
moral  heroes  who  "turn  the  world  upside  down".  He 
created  a  stir  wherever  he  went,  and  Satan's  kingdom 
always  got  a  troublesome  shaking  up,  when  this 
simple,  intrepid  herald  of  the  Cross  began  to  preach. 
A  mere  selection  from  his  report  is  here  added: 

"The  families  who  first  received  me  in  Erie  county, 
were  Hershey's,  Long's,  Miller's,  Gimber's,  Metzler's, 
Brown's,  Ripply's,  Kurtz's  and  others.  The  Germans 
in  those  parts  were  divided  among  Catholics,  Luther- 
ans, Reformed,  Dunkards  and  Mennonites,  among 
whom,  at  the  most,  a  very  few  were  living  a  Christian 
life,  while  the  masses  were  unconverted.  In  Warren 
county  the  German  people  were  sunken  in  vice,  but 
according  to  their  profession,  either  Catholics  or 
Lutherans.  The  former  pastor  of  the  church  was 
said  to  have  been  a  regular^.)  drunkard,  and  their 
organist,  a  German  who  had  served  in  the  army  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  led  them  in  dancing  oftener 
than  in  worship. 

"On  my  second  visit  to  Warren,  during  preaching, 
one  day,  a  respectable  man  by  the  name  of  Gross, 
fell  to  the  ground  as  if  struck  by  lightning,  but  it  was 
the  lightning  of  the  Word.  He  began  to  pray  and 
struggle,  and  ceased  not  till  he  had  found  peace  and 
pardon  in  Jesus,  and  received  the  life  of  God.  I 
made  it  my  duty  to  visit  rich  and  poor,  and  all  classes 
and  conditions  alike,  and  consequently  had  plenty  of 
visitors  at  my  preaching  services.  At  these  services 
many  were  convicted.    It  seems  to  me  that  my  per- 


The  First  Missionary. 


139 


sonal  visitation  contributed  more  to  that  glorious  re- 
vival than  all  my  preaching." 

"When  I  visited  Warren  the  fourth  time,  I  re- 
mained six  days,  preached  nine  times,  and  held  four 
prayer-meetings.  Upon  this  a  glorious  work  of  the 
Lord  took  place.  Scoffers,  persecutors,  and  despisers 
of  God,  broke  down  together  under  the  Word  of 
God,  like  trees  in  a  cyclone.  But  there  were  also  re- 
spectable moral  characters  among  the  penitents,  rang- 
ing from  men  and  women  sixty  years  old  down  to 
children  of  ten  years.  The  drunken  parson  could 
not  accomplish  anything  against  us,  and  so  the  Ger- 
man fiddler  got  his  chums  together  to  dance  and 
carouse  and  drink,  whenever  the  penitent  souls  met 
for  prayer.  This  was  done  to  prevent  others  from 
becoming  concerned  for  their  souls,  and  to  disturb 
religious  worship.  The  fiddler,  who  was  the  leader 
of  the  opposition,  at  length  ventured  into  my  meeting 
one  day,  and  listened  to  the  preaching  of  the  Word 
for  a  while.  He  was  arrested  on  the  spot  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  the  great  deep  of  his  soul  was 
broken  up.  He  awoke  suddenly  from  the  long  sleep 
of  sin,  and  in  agony  cried  out  in  the  midst  of  the 
congregation,  'O  Seybert,  pray  for  me!' 

"This  naturally  made  a  profound  impression  upon 
those  present.  It  occurred  to  all  that  piping  and 
dancing  would  soon  be  at  an  end  now,  for  the  ring- 
leader himself  lay  on  his  knees,  pleading  for  mere)'. 
In  consternation  his  whilom  comrades  whispered  one 
to  another,  'Behold,  he  prayeth.'  He  soon  obtained 
pardon.  Hallelujah! 


1 40  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


"  On  another  occasion,  one  of  the  most  highly  re- 
spected men  in  the  community  came  to  my  services 
to  make  disturbance.  I  preached  with  much  liberty 
of  the  eternal  love  and  compassion  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus,  and  our  moral  persecutor  was  struck  by  the 
Word  of  the  Lord,  and  began  to  melt  like  wax.  At 
the  next  service  he  came  as  a  penitent,  and  in  the 
presence  of  a  large  congregation,  fell  upon  his  knees 
in  great  distress  of  soul.  He  cried  mightily  unto 
God  for  salvation,  and  obtained  it,  being  followed 
soon  thereafter  by  his  whole  family.  Two  of  his  sons 
afterwards  became  ministers  of  the  Gospel  in  the 
Evangelical  Association.  [This  was  Jacob  Esher. 
One  of  the  sons  of  whom  Bishop  Seybert  here  speaks, 
is  Bishop  J.  J.  Esher,  who  was  then  and  there  con- 
verted at  the  early  age  of  eight  years.]  For  all  this 
we  give  everlasting  praise  to  the  King  of  kings. 

"During  this  blessed  year,  the  wicked  world  and 
the  devil  did  not  treat  me  very  civilly  either.  The 
boldest  falsehoods  were  circulated  about  me  again, 
to  awaken  suspicions  and  prejudices  among  the  peo- 
ple against  me,  and  to  destroy  my  influence  upon  my 
field  of  labor.  They  brought  up  the  most  shameful 
slanders,  charging  me  with  being  not  even  virtuous 
and  chaste.  Several  times  things  came  to  such  a 
pass,  that  I  thought  it  necessary  to  confront  them 
with  living  witnesses  in  my  favor,  thus  putting  the 
adversary  to  shame.  After  this,  certain  sons  of  Belial 
started  the  tale  that  I  had  cheated  my  brother  out  of 
a  sum  of  money.  But  I  was  not  slow  in  writing  to 
my  brother  three  hundred  miles  distant,  and  soon  re- 


The  First  Missionary . 


ceived  in  reply  a  perfect  vindication  in  writing.. 
Then  these  Philistine  busy-bodies  said  I  had  left  a 
wife  and  children  somewhere  between  Philadelphia 
and  Lancaster,  Pa.,  whereas  I  represented  myself  as  a 
single  man  here  in  Warren  and  Erie  counties.  Upon 
this  I  wrote  home  again  without  delay,  in  answer  to 
which  a  document  was  prepared,  stamped  with  the 
county  seal,  and  sent  to  me  signed  by  twelve  of  my 
former  neighbors  and  by  a  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
This  paper  declared  me  to  be  an  honorable  citizen, 
and  so  the  mouths  of  my  persecutors  were  also 
stopped  on  that  matter.  The  people  were  now  ready 
themselves  to  defend  me  from  these  attacks.  A  so- 
called  Reformed  preacher  had  circulated  the  above 
falsehood  with  great  industry,  and  it  wras  necessary 
for  the  cause  and  the  church  which  I  represented,  to 
vindicate  the  integrity  of  my  character  in  this  strange 
land.  Thank  God,  that  I  was  enabled  to  do  it!  At 
another  place  my  enemies  said  I  was  a  drunkard. 
This  I  thought  may  prove  itself.  They  also  asserted 
that  I  professed  to  be  entirely  pure  and  hoi)-,  and 
had  not  committed  a  single  sin  in  eight  years!  In 
short,  the  pack  of  lies  was  too  great  to  repeat  them 
all,  and  too  ridiculous  to  deserve  attention.  In  spite 
of  all,  the  Lord's  work  prospered  most  gloriously 
under  the  hand  of  his  poor  servant.  For  I  wanted 
only  to  please  and  honor  God  and  help  my  fellowmen. 

"  I  have  now  served  one  year  as  a  missionary  on 
Erie  mission,  and  have  succeeded,  by  the  help  of  God 
and  in  spite  of  the  devil  and  all  opposers,  in  opening" 
twenty  new  preaching  places,  and  have  received  one 


142  Life  and  Labor's  of  John  Seybert. 

hundred  and  twenty-one  members  into  the  church, 
of  whom  at  least  one  hundred  were  soundly  con- 
verted during  the  year.  I  traveled  on  horseback  a 
distance  of  three  thousand  and  eleven  miles,  preached 
two  hundred  and  eighteen  times,  and  founded  seven 
societies  in  which  the  Lord  is  worshipped  in  Spirit 
and  in  truth.    To  God  alone  be  all  the  honor! 

"I  am  happy  on  my  way  to  conference.  It  is  the 
last  of  May,  and  nature  has  donned  her  brightest 
robes.  The  fields  are  carpeted  with  green  and 
decked  with  flowers  of  lovliest  hue;  the  air  is  laden 
with  odors  sweet  and  trembles  with  the  melodies  of 
feathered  choirs.  It  being  locust  year,  locusts  by  the 
million  join  in  repeating  with  trembling  voices  their 
'Pharao'!  O  how  unspeakably  great  is  our  God. 
How  brightly  His  wisdom  shines,  His  beauty  and 
His  power  in  all  His  works.  Therefore  praise  Him, 
ye  heavens,  and,  thou  earth,  bend  in  worship  at  Jeho- 
vah's feet!  Amen." 

Such  is  in  brief  the  history  of  the  first  regular 
missionary  enterprise  of  the  Evangelical  Association. 
It  epitomizes  our  experience  everywhere — the  oppo- 
sition of  dead  and  formal  churches  leagued  with  that 
of  the  ungodly  sons  of  Belial.  It  also  augured  the 
general  success  and  prosperity  that  we  now  see 
attending  our  missionary  efforts  both  at  home  and 
abroad.  And  what  an  inspiring  as  well  as  instructive 
example  Bro.  Seybert  left  his  successors,  the  hun- 
dreds of  missionaries  who  have  gone  out  since  and 
will  yet  go  out  under  the  auspices  of  the  Evangelical 
Association! 


The  First  Missionary. 


1 45 


In  connection  with  this  revival  at  Warren,  Bro. 
Seybert  in  his  subsequent  travels  frequently  related 
the  following  alleged  incident,  when  engaged  in 
animated  conversation  in  some  domestic  circle.  We 
give  it  as  he  related  it,  leaving  the  gentle  reader  to 
form  his  own  opinion  of  the  matter.  The  date  of  the 
occurrence  is  Warren,  Pa.,  April  1834. 

One  evening  while  the  families  Arnet  and  Gross 
were  absent  at  prayer-meeting,  their  children,  six  in 
number,  engaged  in  a  childish  prayer-meeting  at 
home.  The  eldest  of  the  group  was  13  years  of  age, 
one  was  12  and  the  youngest  was  7.  After  their 
exercises  had  continued  for  some  time,  the  youngest 
of  the  group,  in  some  unaccountable  way,  became 
offended,  and  instead  of  praying,  it  mocked  the 
others,  finally  going  under  the  table  in  a  sulking 
manner.  What  was  the  astonishment  of  the  others, 
when,  looking  under  the  table,  they  saw  an  immense 
black  dog,  with  unusually  large,  yellow,  glaring  eyes, 
sitting  by  the  sulking  child.  They  were  certain  that 
no  clog  was  anywhere  in  the  house.  Presently  one 
of  the  children  said,  "This  is  the  devil!"  The  beast 
now  walked  around  the  little  group,  about  the  room, 
and  pulled  their  clothes,  and  leaped  upon  the  table. 
It  also  went  into  the  cupboard  and  rattled  the  dishes. 
With  all  this  the  children  experienced  no  terror  nor 
alarm.  One  of  them  wTas  unable  to  see  the  appari- 
tion. They  continued  their  devotions.  The  father 
of  the  family,  named  Conrad  Gross,  soon  returned, 
but  noticed  nothing  unusual  upon  entering  the  room, 
except  the  vehemence  and  positive    manner  with 


144  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


which  the  children  asserted  that  the  devil  was  in  the 
house.  "Oh,  pshaw!"  he  exclaimed,  "away  with 
such  nonsense!  what  would  the  devil  want  in  our 
house?  —  How  does  he  look?"  "Yes,  yes,"  they 
cried,  "  he  is  certainly  in  the  house  —  and  it  is  a  dog 
with  great  yellow  eyes."  But  Mr.  Gross  could  see 
nothing,  though  the  children  described  the  dog,  and 
his  movements,  and  pointed  to  where  they  saw  him. 
Unable  to  silence  the  children,  Mr.  Gross  finally  said, 
"Let  us  pray,"  fell  upon  his  knees  and  undertook 
to  pray.  Suddenly  a  thick,  dark  mist, —  an  impene- 
trable film,  gathered  before  his  eyes.  Upon  this  he 
arose,  opened  the  door,  and  in  an  imperative  tone 
•exclaimed:  "Satan,  I  adjure  thee  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ,  depart  from  my  house!"  The  children 
declared  that  they  now  saw  the  dog  walk  out  at 
the  door,  and  then  slowly  leave  the  house.  Mr. 
Gross  himself,  however,  saw  nothing  extraordinary, 
•save  the  mysterious  darkness  that  seemed  to  hold 
his  eyes. 

On  Bro.  Seybert's  return  from  this  missionary 
•exploit,  the  conference,  which  met  in  New  Berlin, 
June  2d,  1834,  elected  him  Presiding  Elder  for  the 
third  time,  and  assigned  him  to  duty  on  Canaan" 
district.  His  circuits  were  Schuylkill,  Lebanon  and 
Lancaster.  At  this  session  he  served  as  Secretary 
and  also  preached  the  ordination  sermon.  He  began 
his  work  this  time  with  great  delight.  He  had  pleas- 
ing anticipations  of  again  meeting  many  of  his  spirit- 
ual children  whom  he  found  it  so  hard  to  leave  on 
the  expiration  of  his  first  term  of  service  on  that 


The  First  Missionary. 


145 


district  five  years  before.  He  was  also  anxious  to 
learn  how  faithful  they  had  been  in  the  cause  of 
Christ.  Though  he  never  had  much  occasion  for 
grief  on  account  of  dDostasies  amono-  his  converts, 
yet  isolated  cases  of  this  kind  also  occurred  in  his 
experience.  And  every  minister  of  the  Gospel  knows 
what  a  deep,  poignant  grief  it  causes  the  heart,  to  sees 
the  souls  whom  we  have  wrested  from  Satan's  grasp, 
falling  away  again  to  the  weak  and  beggarly  elements 
of  the  world.  At  all  events,  Seybert  was  glad  for 
the  privilege  of  taking  care  for  a  while  of  his  own 
gathered  sheaves. 

On  Sunday,  June  1 5th,  he  preached  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Henry  Mertz,  a  man  prominent  among  his 
fellow  citizens,  both  in  State  and  Church.  Mr.  Merz 
and  his  family  had  been  soundly  converted  and  had 
joined  the  Evangelical  Association,  together  with 
some  other  families.  The  little  flock  had  to  suffer 
persecution,  however. 

Monday  Seybert  came  to  Upper  Milford,  Lehigh 
county,  where  he  preached  at  Andrew  Yeakel's,* 
who  had  formerly  been  a  Schwenkfelder  preacher, 
but  had  joined  our  Church,  after  his  conversion. 
The  power  of  God  came  down  upon  the  people  at 
this  service,  already  during  the  opening  prayer,  in 
such  a  measure  as  to  cause  a  tremendous  commotion. 
A  vigorous  revival  had  been  in  progress  for  some 
time  there,  but  also  vigorous  persecution.  Wives 
forsook  their  husbands,  solely  because  the  latter 
began  to  pray,  and  parents  drove  their  children  from 


*  Uncle  of  Ex-Bishop  K  Yeakel. 
IO 


146  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


home,  for  serving  the  Lord  and  becoming  religious. 
Public  worship  was  frequently  disturbed  and  violently 
interrupted,  utterly  regardless  of  the  religious  liberty 
which  the  laws  of  the  land  vouchsafed  to  us.  Evan- 
gelical preachers  were  often  shamefully  treated  on 
the  street.  Their  life  was  openly  threatened,  if  they 
would  not  leave  the  country.  The  rabble  threatened 
to  stone  them,  to  club  them,  and  even  to  shoot  them* 
But  the  early  preachers  of  the  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion, had  the  material  in  them  that  makes  martyrs. 
They  cared  but  little  for  the  threatenings  of  Satan's 
vassals,  and  went  bravely  on,  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  And  no  one  was  killed.  There  was  much 
more  bravado  in  the  enemies  of  the  cause,' than  cour- 
age. 

His  forty-third  birthday  Bro.  Seybert  noted  in  the 
journal  as  follows: 

"July  7th,  1834.  To-day  I  am  forty-three  years 
old.  Through  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  alone  I 
have  reached  this  age,  and  I  am  therefore  resolved  to 
serve  my  dear  Lord  with  soul  and  body  as  long  as  I 
am  permitted  to  live.  But  one  thought  occurs  to  me 
to-day  which  saddens  me,  and  that  is,  that  I  lived  in 
an  impenitent  state  until  I  was  nineteen  years  of  age. 

"This  evening  I  had  services  near  Lebanon,  Pa., 
and  we  were  blessed  with  a  marvellous  manifestation 
of  the  eternal  life  of  God.  The  friends  from  town 
are  still  shouting  on  their  way  home  —  I  hear  their 
voices  now  praising  God  on  the  highway,  while  I  am 
writing  this  journal  entry.  The  air  is  so  clear  and 
still  this  evening  too.    I  guess  the  Lord  has  bidden 


The  First  Missionary, 


147 


the  wind  to  be  still,  so  that  his  praise  may  be  heard 
afar!" 

July  20th,  Bro.  Seybert  arrived  at  a  Pennsylvanian 
village  called  Nazareth — a  name,  forever  linked  with 
the  name  and  fame  of  Jesus,  in  the  provincial  sobri- 
quet which  derision  gave  him.  The  village  had  been 
founded  by  the  Moravians,  and  had  formerly  been  in 
good  repute  for  the  industry  of  its  citizens,  their  good 
behavior,  and  an  educational  institution  which  they 
maintained  in  their  midst.  But  at  the  time  Presiding 
Elder  Seybert  visited  the  place,  it  had  degenerated 
both  socially  and  industrially,  as  a  result  of  moral 
decay  and  a  decline  in  religious  interest.  He  was 
served  there  much  as  his  Divine  Master  was  served 
at  Bethlehem:  "there  was  no  room  for  him  in  the 
inn".  However,  a  gentleman  named  Werner,  resid- 
ing near,  received  him,  and  through  his  mediation 
Seybert  gained  access  to  the  people  and  was  enabled 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  good  work. 

In  the  Summer  of  1834,  a  remarkable  camp-meeting 
was  held  in  Schuylkill  Co.,  Pennsylvania,  of  which 
Bro.  Seybert  writes: 

"  During  this  meeting  Bro.  Henry  Fisher  (at  one 
time  editor  of  the  Evangelical  Messenger,  the  English 
organ  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  in  which  posi- 
tion he  died),  preached  one  afternoon  in  such  power 
that  a  general  commotion  took  place  over  the  entire 
encampment,  and  the  convicting  energy  of  the  Spirit 
and  of  the  Word  was  manifested  to  an  extraordinary 
degree,  especially  when  the  invitation  to  come  to  the 
altar  of  prayer  was  given.    The  people  cried  out  in 


t  48  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


loud  lamentations,  fairly  staggering  toward  the  altar, 
pleading  for  mercy  in  their  helpless  distress.  Even  im 
the  outskirts  of  the  audience,  the  spiritually  wounded 
began  to  tremble  and  quake,  and  cry  out.  They 
wrung  their  hands  in  agony,  or  smote  upon  their 
breast,  wailing,  'God,  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner'.,  In 
the .  multitude  sat  a  woman  with  a  child  in  her  arm, 
who  trembled  and  wept  so  sorely  in  her  appalling 
spiritual  grief,  that  by-standers  relieved  her  of  the 
child  while  she  tottered  toward  the  altar.  The  sisters 
encouraged  her  all  they  could,  until  she  found  peace 
in  the  Redeemer.  She  was  wondrously  changed. 
The  very  fashion  of  her  countenance  was  altered. 
So  signally  was  the  power  of  God  displayed,  that 
many  sensible  persons  who  were  cool  enough  to 
observe,  declared  that  the  earth  trembled,  especially 
on  Friday  night."  And  why  not?  Do  we  not  read 
in  the  sacred  records,  that  on  a  certain  day  the  dis- 
ciples of  the  Lord  were  assembled  together  in  prayer, 
and  "the  place  was  shaken  where  they  were  as- 
sembled"? If  then,  why  not  now?  Is  the  Lord's 
hand  shortened?  It  is  certain  that  human  spirits  are 
often  made  to  tremble  under  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  God. — Is  it  harder,  or  more  miraculous  for 
God,  to  shake  the  earth? 

During  this  year  Bro.  Seybert  held  seven  "big 
meetings",  and  five  camp-meetings;  traveled  four 
thousand  four  hundred  and  six  miles;  visited  very 
many  families  and  prayed  with  them;  christened 
many  children  and  baptized  many  adults,  besides 
preaching  nearly  three  hundred  times,  and  admin- 


The  First  Missionary. 


149 


istering  the  Holy  Supper  of  the  Lord  to  many 
saints. 

It  was  his  privilege  also,  again  to  visit  the  Mahan- 
tango  and  adjacent  valleys,  where  he  had  such 
memorable  experiences  on  his  first  visits  during  his 
former  term  on  this  district,  and  witnessed  with  his 
own  eyes  the  fulfillment  of  the  prediction  he  made  to 
the  old  German  lady  five  years  ago.  There  was 
such  a  change  in  the  moral  and  social  state  of  affairs, 
that  the  very  angels  of  God  must  needs  have  rejoiced 
over  it.  He  now  had  so  many  seals  to  his  ministry, 
that  the  last  lingering  shadow  of  doubt  upon  that  sub- 
ject vanished  from  his  soul. 

On  this  trip  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  three 
European  Catholics,  of  whom  one  was  already  con- 
verted. He  speaks  of  him  as  "a  talented  man,  not 
only  learned,  but  converted",  (gelehrt  unci  bekehrt.) 
who  also  united  with  the  Evangelical  Association. 
The  second  of  the  three  was  in  distress  of  soul  and 
was  seeking  the  Saviour.  The  third  was  also  touched 
by  the  grace  of  Ciod,  and  is  convinced  of  the  need  of 
conversion. 

Beyond  the  Blue  Mountains  in  Pennsylvania,  there 
was  a  place  called  "Paradise",  which  Bro.  Seybert 
visited  during  one  of  his  bold  exploring  expeditions 
in  March,  1835.  Like  all  earthly  Edens,  since  the 
first  one  was  destroyed,  this  wTas  a  Paradise  but  in 
name.  The  spiritual  darkness  was  something  awful,  k 
when  Seybert  first  came  there.  There  was  no  need 
to  wish  for  the  night  to  perpetrate  deeds  of  darkness; 
the  day  was  as  the  night,  and  both  alike  inky  black. 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybcrt. 


Seybert  planted  the  banner  of  the  Cross  there,  and 
before  its  light  the  idols  fell,  the  darkness  fled,  and 
vice  crawled  into  caves  to  hide  for  shame.  To  his 
efforts  under  the  blessing  of  God,  it  is  due  that 
''Paradise"  was  "regained". 

The  General  Conference  assembled  May  25th, 
1835,  in  Orwigsburg,  Pa.  All  the  Elders  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  were  members.  The  dele- 
gate system  was  not  introduced  until  the  General 
Conference  of  1843.  The  present  session  transacted 
very  important  business.  It  arranged  for  the  publi- 
cation of  the  " Christliche  Botschafter\  the  first  peri- 
odical of  our  church,  and  now  the  oldest,  largest  and 
most  wridely  circulated  German  religious  weekly 
newspaper  in  the  world,  having  a  circulation  of  nearly 
twenty-five  thousand  subscribers,  at  this  writing. 
The  influence  of  this  paper  in  the  development  of  our 
denominational  interests  is  second  to  that  of  no  other 
agency  in  the  church.  This  General  Conference  also 
ordered  the  establishment  of  Sunday-schools.  This 
order  was  executed  forthwith  in  very  many  places. 
Before  the  close  of  that  year,  Sunday-schools  were 
organized  in  the  cities  of  Lebanon,  New  Berlin, 
Orwigsburg  and  Philadelphia.  It  has  been  a  dis- 
puted point,  as  to  where  the  first  Sunday-school  of 
the  Evangelical  Association  was  really  organized. 
The  school  at  Philadelphia  was  the  first  to  publish  a 
report,  but  the  evidence  seems  to  give  priority  to  the 
school  at  Lebanon,  where  a  Sunday-school  had 
already  been  organized  in  1832. 

The  chief  matter  to  be  chronicled  here,  however,  is 


The  First  Missionary. 


the  discussion  in  this  General  Conference,  as  to 
whether  these  Sunday-schools  should  be  exclusively 
German,  or  whether  the  English  language  should  be 
allowed  to  be  introduced  in  them.  In  the  debate 
Bro.  Seybert  strongly  favored  exclusively  German 
Sunday-schools,  principally  on  the  ground  that  "the 
English  speaking  people  were  already  amply  provided 
for  in  this  particular,  by  other  churches.  The  Ger- 
mans are  in  special  need.  Our  church  should  work 
among  them,  and  for  their  benefit.  If  the  Evangelical 
Association  does  not  help  the  Germans  in  the  United 
States,  nobody  else  will.  God  has  commissioned  the 
ministry  of  the  Evangelical  Association  for  the  very 
purpose  of  bringing  the  Gospel  with  its  light  and  life 
to  the  neglected  German  population  of  this  country." 

The  Eastern  annual  conference  met  June  ist,  1835, 
in  Lebanon.  There  were  forty-five  itinerants  present. 
Seybert  says  it  was  the  most  blessed  session  he  had 
ever  attended. 

One  evening  soon  after,  Bro.  Seybert  had  an 
appointment  at  the  house  of  a  brother  whose  wife 
was  opposed  to  having  religious  services  there, 
having  once  even  forsaken  her  family  on  that 
account.  But  seeing  her  husband  wrould  not  yield 
to  her  wishes,  she  presently  returned.  On  this, 
particular  occasion,  Seybert  arrived  there  sometime 
before  dark,  his  horse  was  stabled  and  fed  and  he 
invited  to  the  house.  He  shook  hands  with  his  cus- 
tomary cheerfulness  with  all  the  family,  but  the 
woman  of  the  house  acted  very  coolly  toward  him, 
and   by  no    means    welcomed   him.    One    of  the 


152  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

daughters  was  sick  in  bed,  and  the  father  and 
Seybert  sat  in  the  sick  room  conversing  on  the  things 
of  God.  In  the  midst  of  conversation  the  wife  and 
mother  abruptly  entered  the  room  and  began  to 
abuse  her  husband  in  a  most  shameful  manner,  in 
the  presence  of  her  sick  and  feeble  daughter.  She 
I  precipitated  a  perfect  torrent  of  abusive  slander  on 
" these  converted  people",  and  employed  unrepeat- 
able expressions  regarding  the  preachers,  asserting 
that  she  was  determined  not  to  tolerate  their  visits 
to  her  house  any  longer.  Seybert  said  nothing. 
Her  husband  began  to  weep  bitterly  under  her  dis- 
graceful attack,  when  she  retired  from  the  onslaught, 
but  in  a  few  minutes  returned,  scolding  because  these 
meetings  caused  her  so  much  trouble.  Upon  this, 
Seybert  arose  and  went  to  the  house  of  a  neighbor, 
who  was  also  converted,  where  he  got  supper. 
Evening  came  at  last,  and  in  the  gloaming  he  walked 
alone  into  a  retired  nook  in  a  near  field,  asking  God 
to  stand  by  him  in  the  performance  of  duty.  The 
woman  had  appointed  her  neighbors,  who  were  like- 
minded  with  herself,  for  the  purpose  of  helping  her 
to  create  disturbance  in  the  service.  But  God's 
people  met  in  a  prayerful  spirit,  and  the  Lord  blessed 
His  Word  mightily.  Bro.  Seybert  preached  from  the 
words:  "The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad ".  It  seemed  as  though  Satan 
were  bound  with  chains,  he  says,  and  the  ungodly 
wrere  quiet;  the  Lord  had  thrown  a  spell  upon  them, 
and  the  4i little  flock",  to  whom  is  promised  the 
inheritance  of  the  Kingdom,  had  a  most  precious 


The  First  Missionary. 


T53 


waiting  before  the  Lord.  Next  morning  the  woman 
was  in  a  better  frame  of  mind. 

During  this  Summer,  Bro.  Seybert  attended  a 
number  of  successful  camp-meetings. 

August  ioth,  1835,  he  began  a  camp-meeting  at 
Jacob  Eby's,  three  miles  south  of  Lebanon,  Pa.  Bro. 
Seybert  preached  the  first  sermon  on  Monday  even- 
ing, and  the  Lord  so  blessed  his  people  during  the 
preaching  of  the  Word,  that  to  the  right  and  left, 
there  arose  a  great  demonstration  of  shouting  and 
weeping  for  joy.  This  became  so  general  and  so 
loud,  that  he  finally  ceased  preaching  and  sat  down 
himself,  quite  oppressed  with  the  weight  of  glory. 
His  heart  was  too  full  for  utterance,  and  his  voice 
could  not  be  heard.  He  thought,  Let  the  children 
of  God,  wTho  suffer  so  much  persecution  for  righteous- 
ness' sake,  rejoice;  then  let  those  who  have  been  led 
to  Gethsemane  and  Calvary,  march  down  Olivet 
with  shouts,  and  songs  and  hosannas  to  their  King". 
—  There  was  a  just  recompense  accorded  these 
people  in  these  extraordinary  out-pourings  of  joy, 
which  they  experienced  in  the  midst  of  their  fiery 
trials. 

On  Tuesday,  Bro.  Charles  Hesser  preached,  and 
God's  Spirit  wrought  wonders  in  the  deep  conviction 
of  sinners.  The  saints  were  overcome  with  holy  joy, 
and  sinners  cried  for  mercy  with  loud  lamentations. 

Wednesday  it  rained,  but  the  work  went  on. 
Prayer-meetings  were  held  in  various  tents  all  day, 
in  which  sinners  were  converted,  and  ever  and  anon 
shouts  of  victory  went  up. 


154  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


Friday  morning  Bro.  Seybert  was  to  preach  a 
sacramental  sermon,  but  he  says  it  was  hard  work. 
He  seemed  to  lack  the  "inflowings  of  the  power 
of  the  eternal  world  of  light and  felt,  oh,  so  poor  in 
spiritual  power.  Still,  with  all  the  misery,  the  Lord 
so  blessed  His  Word,  that  among  the  throng,  several 
persons  began  during  the  sermon  to  weep  over  their 
sins.  Afterwards  nearly  two  hundred  joined  in  the 
communion  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  During  the  after- 
noon and  evening  of  that  day,  there  were  such  touch- 
ing demonstrations  of  godly  sorrow  as  are  seldom 
witnessed.  There  were  many  conversions  during 
this  camp-meeting.  Sixteen  preachers  were  in 
attendance,  and  thirty-eight  tents  w7ere  occupied. 

August  17th,  he  began  another  camp-meeting  near 
Orwigsburg.  It  again  fell  to  his  lot  to  begin  the 
meeting,  and  the  altar  was  crowded  with  seekers  of 
salvation,  already  at  the  first  service,  many  of  whom 
received  pardon  the  same  night.  Upon  this  he  ex- 
claims: "  What  do  you  think  of  that?  " 

On  Tuesday  also  the  slain  of  the  Lord  were  many. 

Wednesday  morning  they  were  obliged  to  abandon 
preaching  altogether,  and  labor  with  seekers.  But  in 
the  afternoon  Bro.  Hesser  preached  a  most  convin- 
cing sermon  on  repentance,  in  consequence  of  which 
the  number  of  the  convicted  was  greatly  increased. 

Friday  they  had  such  a  wonderful  time,' and  the 
throng  of  seekers  was  so  great,  that  Bro.  Seybert 
says,  "one  might  almost  be  led  to  think  the  strait 
gate  might  be  over-crowded".  For  this  reason  this 
meeting  was  continued  over  Sunday. 


The  First  Missionary . 


155 


Sunday  morning  he  preached  from  Jer.  8,  21:22  — 
one  of  his  favorite  texts.  The  gracious  Spirit  con- 
tinued to  work  all  day  mightily.  The  spiritual  tide 
did  not  ebb  and  flow,  but  remained  high.  The  meet- 
ing that  evening  had  to  continue  all  night,  until  the 
morning  dawned.  It  was  so  impressive  and  powerful, 
that  Seybert  never  forgot  it. 

Monday,  August  31st,  he  held  the  third  camp- 
meeting  for  this  season  at  Bro.  H.  Heppler's  in 
Mahantango  Valley.  Twenty-four  tents  were  in  the 
circle,  one  of  which  was  occupied  by  a  Lutheran 
minister  and  his  family,  whose  wife  was  a  member 
of  our  church.  Things  have  greatly  changed  since 
the  time  Seybert  was  to  have  been  shot  dead  for  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  there! 

Wednesday  afternoon  of  this  meeting,  the  number 
of  penitents  was  so  great,  that  the  service  continued 
uninterruptedly  until  next  morning.  Many  professed 
to  have  been  saved,  and  the  shout  of  victory  wras 
great. 

In  the  Fall  Seybert  wTas  taken  sick  with  a  fever. 
His  physician  was  successful  in  restoring  him  speed- 
ily, under  the  blessing  of  God,  but  peremptorily  for- 
bade his  patient  to  exert  himself  for  some  time,  which 
he  felt  unable  to  observe.    Seybert  says  of  this: 

4T  am  not  to  preach  as  yet.  The  doctor  scolds  me 
for  it.  But  God  in  heaven  has  blessed  my  sermon, 
in  spite  of  the  doctor's  grumbling.  I  havn't  suffered 
any  harm,  either.  The  fact  is,  I  must  work  while  it 
is  day,  for  the  night  cometh  when  I  can  no  longer 
work.    When  I  once  get  within  the  gates  of  the  New 


156  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

Jerusalem,  then  1  will  rest.  But  so  long  as  I  sojourn 
in  Mesech  and  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Kedar,  I  have  no 
rest,  for  it  is  written,  'work  out  your  own  salvation, 
with  fear  and  trembling  ever.' " 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity. 


157 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SELF-DENIAL  AND  INTREPIDITY. 

In  November,  1835,  being  in  Philadelphia,  Bro. 
Seybert  heard  of  a  number  of  German  families  living 
near  the  glass  works  at  Waterford,  New  Jersey,  who 
were  without  a  preacher,  and  resolved  to  visit  them. 
He  was  warmly  received  among  them,  preached 
several  times,  and  baptized  their  children.  His 
preaching  affected  these  people  profoundly,  and  he 
had  reason  to  believe  that  his  visit  was  not  in  vain. 
Then,  leaving  his  horse  in  Waterford  on  account  of 
the  expense  of  its  maintenance  in  Philadelphia,  he 
returned  on  foot  to  the  latter  city.  The  distance  was 
twent-eight  miles,  the  roads  were  muddy  and  the 
weather  rainy  and  stormy,  but  nothing  of  this  kind 
deterred  him  from  meeting  his  announced  appoint- 
ments. He  arrived  in  the  evening  very  tired.  The 
next  day  he  visited  a  large  number  of  families, 
preached,  and  walked  back  to  Waterford. 

January  14th,  1836,  he  had  an  appointment  in 
Mahantango  Valley.  To  reach  it,  he  was  obliged 
to  cross  Mahantango  mountain,  which  is  hard  to 
cross  at  any  season  of  the  year,  and  in  any  direc- 
tion you  may  take.  This  time,  when  a  deep  snow 
covered  it,  the  undertaking  was  really  a  formidable 
one.  But  he  was  determined  not  to  miss  his  appoint- 
ment, if  there  was  any  way  to  reach  it.  Finding 
his  horse  unable  to  carry  him  through,  he  alighted 


158  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

and  walked  ahead  of  him,  slowly  pushing  his  way 
through  the  white  masses  of  the  snow.  Over  and 
over  again  he  was  obliged  to  gather  up  all  his 
strength,  and  then  only  slowly  could  he  go  on,  step 
by  step.  When  he  finally  reached  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  however,  he  saw  at  once  the  impossibility 
of  getting  through  by  the  road.  He  had  come  up 
from  the  south,  and  the  snow  was  much  deeper  on 
the  north  side  of  the  mountain,  besides  being  much 
more  drifted.  He  called  a  halt.  What  was  to  be 
done  now?  He  looked  about,  but  there  was  none  to 
help.  Finally  he  hit  upon  a  plan.  Turning  his  face 
straight  in  the  direction  of  his  destination  in  the 
valley  below,  he  started  down  through  the  woods, 
walking  ahead  of  his  horse.  By  that  sheltered  route 
the  snow  was  not  so  deep  and  less  drifted,  but  it  led 
over  rocks,  logs  and  ravines,  all  concealed  by  the 
snow.  Seybert  and  his  horse  toiled  through  under- 
brush and  thorns,  and  stumbled  over  obstructions  in 
great  weariness.  The  remembrance  of  that  trip  made 
him  shudder  whenever  he  recalled  it.  But  he  finally 
reached  the  valley  in  safety,  where  he  turned  into  the 
road  again.  Exhausted  beyond  measure,  and  tired 
enough  to  die,  he  reached  the  appointment,  and  a 
soul  became  penitent  in  the  meeting  that  night. 

The  same  month  he  again  preached  in  Manheim, 
his  native  town.  While  there,  he  spent  an  evening 
with  his  life-long  friends,  Bro.  F.  Danner  and  family. 
There  was  also  another  friend  and  his  wife  there 
visiting.  While  talking  with  these  friends,  a  neigh- 
bor came  in,  who  was  once  converted,  but  had  since 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity. 


159 


backslidden,  and  had  become  very  worldly.    As  soon 
as  Bro.  Seybert  saw  him,  he  felt  a  peculiar  interest  in 
him;  and  took  pains  in  trying  to  bring  him  back 
again,  into  the  Kingdom  of  God.    He  pointed  out 
the  dangerous  situation  in  which  he  was,  and  asserted 
that  the  Lord  would  have  mercy  even  upon  apostates, 
if  they  repent  and  return  to    Him  in  sincerity  and 
truth.    After  a  few  moments  of  silence,  Seybert  be- 
o-an  to  sin ^  a  hymn,   and  the  friends  joined  him. 
They  knelt  in  prayer,  and  he  was  enabled  to  pray 
with  much  fervor  for  the  poor  backslider.  Rising, 
they  sang  another  hymn,  and,  glancing  at  the  man, 
Seybert  saw  he  was  deeply  moved.    Upon  this  he 
suggested  prayer  once  more,  and  prayed  for  him  still 
more  fervently.    This  broke  the  man  down,  and  he 
began  to  weep  bitterly,  and  also  began  to  pray  for 
himself  again.    This  brought  the  visitors  upon  their 
knees  in  great  distress  of  soul,  so  that  Bro.  Seybert 
now  had  three  penitents  on  their  knees,  with  whom 
Bro.  Danner  and  he    labored   until    two    of  them 
found  peace  and  pardon.    This  gave  him  great  relief. 
All  day  he  had  been  severely  tried,  while  sojourning 
in  his  native  place,  because  he  thought  it  impossible 
for  him  to  do  any  good  there.     For  had  not  the 
Master  himself  said,  a  prophet  is  not  without  honor, 
except  in  his  own  home,  and  among  his  kindred? 

Feb.  20th,  Bro.  Seybert  began  a  two  days'  meeting 
in  a  newly  erected  meeting  house  in  Lancaster  Co  ,  Pa. 
There  were  still  some  shavings  and  other  loose  pieces 
of  lumber  lying  under  the  floor.  Two  vicious  persons 
set  this  on  fire  during;  divine  service,  and  while  the 


160  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


house  was  filled  with  people.  They  had  evidently 
hoped  to  accomplish  a  double  purpose;  namely,  to 
disturb  the  service,  and  also  to  destroy  the  building. 
Whether  accidentally  or  providentially,  two  brethren 
went  out  during  service  and  thus  discovered  the  fire. 
Without  giving  any  alarm,  these  brethren  with  great 
prudence  quietly  put  out  the  dangerous  fire,  without 
in  the  least  disturbing  the  devout  congregation  of 
worshippers,  who  remained  unconscious  of  the  peril 
through  which  they  passed.  Bro.  Seybert  remarked: 
"Thus  the  devil's  fire  tinder  the  building  was  put  out 
by  the  brethren,  but  the  fire  of  the  Lord  burned 
mightily  inside.  Hallelujah!" 

The  Eastern  conference  had,  up  to  this  time,  held 
its  sessions  about  the  first  of  June  each  year,  but  the 
last  session  of  the  General  Conference  changed  the 
time  to  the  last  of  March.  This  change  made  that 
conference  year  only  ten  months  long.   Seybert  says: 

"Through  the  mercy  of  God  I  have  completed 
another  conference  year,  which,  though  it  was  only 
of  ten  months  duration,  has  resulted  in  more  fruit  than 
many  longer  years.  Our  Church,  despised  by  men 
and  hated  by  the  devil,  has  taken  a  long  step  forward. 
On  my  district,  the  Lord  has  blessed  us  marvel- 
lously, bringing  many  sinners  to  repentance,  under 
the  preaching  of  His  Word,  which  is  a  light  to  shine, 
and  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation,  unto  ever}-  one 
that  believeth.  It  has  pleased  the  Lord  also  to  bless 
greatly  my  own  feeble  service,  to  the  good  of  the 
Church  and  of  the  world."  . 

In  July,  he  visited  Doylestown,  the  county  seat  of 


^ elf-  Den  ial  a  n d  Intrep  id ity.  1 6  r 

Bucks  Co.,  Pa.,  for  purposes  of  exploration.  He 
called  on  a  Reformed  minister,  who  received  him 
kindly,  but  no  door  seemed  to  open  for  him,  to 
preach  in  the  place.  He  therefore  started  out 
through  the  country,  in  a  north-westerly  direction, 
and  found  entertainment  at  the  home  of  a  man 
named  Albright,  about  eight  miles  from  Doyles- 
town.  Next  day  being-  Sunday,  Albright  and  his 
guest  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Mennonites.  It  was 
soon  conjectured  that  the  latter  was  a  preacher,  and 
accordingly  the  minister  of  the  congregation  asked 
him  to  preach  for  him  "Certainly,"  he  replied,  "if  it 
is  agreeable  to  you,"  "O  yes,"  said  the  preacher, 
"  bi^t  will  you  also  feel  free  to  preach  in  our  meet- 
ing?" "  Under  such  circumstances  I  shall  feel  easy," 
was  the  response.  The  minister  opened  the  service 
with  some  introductory  remarks  and  prayer,  and 
Seybert  afterwards  preached.  It  was  a  very  solemn 
hour.  He  was  enabled  to  speak  with  great  freedom, 
and  the  people  were  deeply  moved,  so  that  they 
declared  that  they  had  never  witnessed  such  a  scene 
as  that  which  followed.  The  Mennonite  preacher 
then  kindly  announced  Bro.  Seybert's  appointment  in 
a  neighboring  school-house  for  that  afternoon,  took 
him  along  home  with  him  for  dinner,  and  accompanied 
him  to  the  afternoon  service.  They  afterwards  visited 
a  member  of  the  Mennonite  society,  who  was  sick,, 
where  he  was  permitted  to  do  the  work  of  a  pastor. 
He  was  now  obliged  to  stay  all  night  with  his  newly 
found  friend  and  next  morning  they  parted  in  great 
peace." 

1 1 


1 62  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


September  18th,  he  baptized  seven  persons,  "three 
of  whom  were  baptized  under  water,  and  the  other 
four  with  water.  The  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
came  down  upon  all  the  subjects  of  baptism  on  this 
occasion,  both  upon  those  who  were  baptized  with 
water  and  upon  those  who  were  put  under  the  water. 
The  Lord  made  no  difference  between  them,  nor 
showed  any  special  favor  to  those  who  were 
immersed.  The  saints  who  were  present  were  also 
greatly  blessed." 

Among  the  subjects  baptized  was  a  woman  who, 
before  her  conversion,  was  noted  for  her  fondness 
for  display.  But  already  during  her  penitential 
struggle  she  broke  away  from  this  vice  and  threw 
off  her  articles  of  useless  adornment,  burning  them 
in  the  fire.  One  of  the  brethren  whom  he  baptized 
that  day,  had  been  for  fifteen  years  a  very  wicked 
man;  an  auctioneer  by  trade.  He  was  very  proud 
and  vain,  but  since  his  conversion  he  had  been  remark- 
ably humble,  bore  a  modest  demeanor  and  led  a 
sober  life. 

About  this  time  the  work  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation in  the  Quaker  City  began  to  obtain  a  solid 
foot  hold  and  to  enjoy  remarkable  prosperity.  The 
difficulties  with  which  it  had  to  contend,  however, 
were  very  great  indeed.  The  attacks  of  its  enemies 
were  not  vulgar  and  barbarous,  like  those  in  rural 
•communities,  but  insidious  and  polite  and  for  that 
very  reason  the  more  dangerous.  The  enemy 
appeared  in  the  garb  of  refinement,  civilization  and 
culture,  charming  the  public  mind  into  carnal  security. 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity. 


163. 


And  yet  the  Lord  prospered  Zion.  Within  two 
months  above  twenty-five  persons  joined  the  church, 
and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  continued  to  awaken  the 
people. 

The  chapel  became  too  small  now,   and  it  was 
found  necessary  to  erect  a  more  commodious  house. 
The   newly    organized    Sunday-school,    which  met 
twice  each   Sunday,   numbered   a    hundred  pupils. 
Not  long  before  this,  Bro.  Seybert  held  a  five  days' 
meeting  there,  during  which  from  twelve  to  twenty 
penitents  were  at  the  altar  of  prayer  at  every  evening 
service,  and  every  evening  five  or  six  found  peace  in 
Jesus.    At  one  of  these  services  it  was  very  rainy 
and  dark,  and  but  few  were  present.    But  among  the 
number  was  a  lady  ninety-four  years  old,  who  had  to 
gather  up  all  her  feeble  strength  to  get  to  the  house 
of  God.    She  listened  very  attentively  to  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Word,  which  smote  her  with  deep  convic- 
tion, so  that  she  tottered   forward  to  the  altar  of 
prayer.    The  friends  prayed  with  and  for  her,  and 
pointed  her  to  the  promises  of  God,  encouraging  her 
to  believe.     Presently  her  faith  laid  hold  of  Jesus, 
and  she  obtained  peace.    This  was  indeed  coming  at 
the  eleventh  hour.    This  woman  had  spent  almost  a 
century  in  the  service  of  sin,  without  God  and  with- 
out hope  in  the  world,  and  now  that  the  portals  of 
another  century  or  of  another  world  were  almost  ready 
to  swing  open,  she  sought  and  found  mercy  at  the  foot 
of  the  Cross.     Life's  setting  sun,  after  a  long  and 
weary  day,  is  already  gilding  with  twilight  glories  the 
horizon's  western  rim.  but  now  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 


164  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


ness  suddenly  rises  in  splendor  on  her  soul.  Thank 
God.  Eternal  day  begins  before  eternal  night  could 
settle  upon  the  spirit. 

Incidents  like  this  were  by  no  means  unfrequent 
in  Seybert's  ministry,  and  gave  him  much  delight. 

In  1836  he  held  a  most  successful  camp-meeting 
near  the  city  of  Lebanon,  Pa. 

The  friends  prepared  themselves  for  this  camp- 
meeting  by  fasting  and  prayer,  and  came  together  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord.  There  was  accordingly  no 
foolish  jesting  nor  trifling  conversation.  Even  while 
the  tents  were  being  pitched,  an  impressive  solemnity 
pervaded  the  encampment. 

There  was  no  unseemly  disputing  for  the  best  loca- 
tions, as  is  sometimes  the  case  on  these  occasions. 
Every  one  felt  that  they  were  on  holy  ground;  that 
this  was  the  house  of  God  and  the  gate  of  heaven. 
Already  at  the  first  service  in  the  evening  a  number 
of  "backsliders  and  other  sinners"  came  to  the  altar, 
and  many  were  troubled.  Bro.  Seybert  preached 
from  Rev.  2:  7,  and  the  cries  of  penitents  became  so 
tumultuous  that  the  sermon  was  interrupted,  and  they 
began  to  labor  with  seekers.  Finally  there  was  a 
general  "breaking  through  into  eternal  life",  which 
-occasioned  such  rejoicing  among  God's  children,  that 
their  shouts  and  songs  were  heard  afar  ;  the  hills 
caught  the  echoes,  and  "Lebanon  shook  with  praise". 
Many  were  so  "utterly  filled  with  the  eternal  love  of 
God",  that  they  fell  overwhelmed  with  an  exceeding 
weight  of  glory,  as  though  they  had  been  dead  men. 

Sunday  a  great  throng  was  present,  and  the  even- 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity.  1 65 

ing  service,  which  lasted  until  midnight,  was  blessed 
with  many  conversions. 

Monday  he  baptized  a  number  of  persons  in  the 
Quitapahilla  creek,  at  which  time  the  blessing  of  God 
came  in  showers  upon  the  various  candidates,  but 
most  especially  upon  the  witnessing  multitude  who 
lined  the  banks  of  the  stream. 

Tuesday  the  interest  of  the  meeting  reached  its 
climax.  The  solemnity  of  the  occasion  was  such  that 
the  thousands  who  had  come  into  the  congregation 
simultaneously  fell  upon  their  knees,  and  devoutly 
joined  in  worshipping  God.  It  was  an  impressive 
and  overpowering  scene.  It  was  as  when  Israel  on 
Mt.  Carmel,  at  the  sight  of  Elijah's  fire  signal,  fell 
upon  their  faces  and  cried,  'The  Lord  is  God!  the 
Lord  is  God!'  In  the  evening  of  that  day  the  number 
of  penitents  was  so  great,  says  Seybert,  that  they  could 
not  find  benches  enough  to  accommodate  them,  and 
were  under  the  necessity  of  turning  the  whole  audi- 
torium into  an  altar  of  prayer.  The  outcries  and 
groans  of  poor  sinners,  mingled  with  the  shouts  of 
God's  people  over  their  deliverance  rose  to  an  ex- 
traordinary height,  and  continued  until  the  dawn  of 
the  next  morning.  Wednesday  forenoon  this  glori- 
ous meeting  closed,  but  to  many  it  will  be  memorable 
forever. 

Up  to  this  time  the  Eastern  conference  had  deter- 
mined the  sessions  of  the  General  conference  when- 
ever the  circumstances  in  their  judgment  made  it 
advisable  or  necessary,  and  it  did  not  meet  therefore 
at  regular  quadrennial  intervals,  as  is  now  the  case. 


1 66  Life  and  Laboi's  of  John  Seybert. 


The  establishment  of  a  publishing  house  and  other 
important  business  made  a  session  necessary  at  this 
time.  Thus  it  was  that  only  eighteen  months  elapsed 
between  the  last  General  conference  and  this.  The 
General  conference  met  in  the  house  of  Bro.  J.  Ferner 
in  Somerset  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  14.  Bro.  Seybert  was 
present,  and  preached  an  ordination  sermon  on 
1  Tim.  4:16. 

About  this  time  the  custom  of  holding  protracted 
meetings  came  in  vogue  in  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation. Previously,  the  only  special  meetings  that 
were  held  were  camp-meetings,  all-night  services, 
and  the  so-called  "big"  meetings,  which  usually 
lasted  two  days.  In  1835  Bro.  Seybert  held  a  meet- 
ing of  five  days  duration  in  Philadelphia,  which 
proved  very  successful.  This  induced  him  to  hold 
other  similar  meetings,  and  he  also  advised  his  sub- 
ordinates to  introduce  the  practice  on  their  charges.. 
Almost  simultaneously  other  ministers  of  our  church 
began  to  hold  protracted  meetings.  This  method 
soon  found  universal  favor,  and  was  greatly  blessed 
of  God.  Protracted  meetings  have  ever  since  been 
one  of  the  chief  means  of  revival  work. 

At  the  close  of  1836  Bro.  Seybert  penned  the  fol- 
lowing grateful  retrospect : 

"  I  am  profoundly  moved  when  I  consider  how 
God  has  helped  me  during  the  past  year  in  preaching 
and  in  all  the  duties  of  official  administration.  The 
Lord  has  also  greatly  blessed  me  while  attending 
prayer-meetings,  in  laboring  with  seekers,  in  house- 
visiting  when  I  prayed  with  families,  and  often  in  the 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity.  167 


secret  closet.  I  am  determined  to  be  more  faithful 
than  ever.  It  is  my  intention  to  labor  on  until  at 
evening  the  Master  shall  say,  'Call  him  home  and  give 
him  his  hire.'" 

This  resolution,  frequently  repeated,  Bro.  Seybert 
faithfully  kept.  With  the  last  lingering  doubt  con- 
cerning his  call  to  the  office  of  a  minister,  which  had 
troubled  his  conscientious  soul,  behind  him,  he  was 
now  fully  launched  upon  the  high  seas  of  his  stormy 
but  useful  life,  steering  boldly  into  the  future.  Like 
his  great  prototype  St.  Paul,  he  could  look  with 
consecrated  scorn  upon  all  the  perils  and  troubles 
that  awaited  him,  and  say,  "None  of  these  things 
move  me" 

Early  in  1837  Bro.  Seybert  held  a  meeting  near 
Easton,  Northampton  Co.,  Pa.,  at  a  place  he  had 
visited  occasionally  since  1835.  At  first  progress 
was  very  slow,  but  about  eighteen  months  after  he 
first  visited  the  community  and  established  the  first 
appointment,  a  "glorious  little  class"  was  formed  of 
some  twenty  genuine  Christians.  Among  others  a 
tavern-keeper  who  belonged  to  the  Church,  was 
soundly  converted.  Immediately  after  he  had  ob- 
tained eternal  life,  however,  he  dug  out  his  sign  post 
and  took  down  his  liquor  sign.  His  conscience  pre- 
vailed, and  he  would  no  long-er  consent  to  sell  his 
neighbors  liquid  fire,  and  stopped  the  iniquitous  busi- 
ness at  once  and  forever. 

Everywhere  Bro.  Sevbert  was  amono-  the  foremost 
to  penetrate  into  "the  regions  beyond",  and  to  open 
new  fields  of  operation  for  his  church.    Like  Henry 


1 68 


Life  and  Labors  of  fohn  Seybert, 


of  Navarre  his  plume  was  always  found  tossing  in  the 
battle  smoke  at  the  front  of  the  line.  About  this 
time  the  thrill  of  a  general  missionary  enthusiasm  was 
felt  in  the  Evangelical  Association;  the  missionary 
society  of  which  Seybert  was  the  first  President,  was 
formed  in  1839;  and  with  this  organization  a  new  im- 
petus was  given  to  the  work.  The  work  was  accord- 
ingly vigorously  pushed  forward  in  every  direction. 

The  ministry  of  that  day  was  a  hardy  race  of  men. 
They  were  men  of  a  high  order,  men  for  the  times. 
And  even  among  those  grand  men  Seybert  stood  far 
up  in  the  ranks.  Though  his  district  extended  over 
ten  large  counties,  yet  he  was  constantly  finding  new 
paths,  besides  meeting  all  his  regular  appointments 
with  scrupulous  punctuality.  He  observed  with  de- 
light the  growing  aggressiveness  of  the  ministry. 
With  his  accustomed  imperturbability  he  said: 

"  But,  according  to  all  appearances,  I  must  bestir 
myself  now,  lest  I  should  fall  behind.  Take  notice, 
however,  that  I  am  not  to  be  looked  for  in  the  rear 
ranks  in  this  race.  If  any  one  wishes  to  see  me,  let 
him  look  for  me  pretty  well  in  the  front,  wliere  they  are 
still  breaking  ice" 

These  are  the  words  of  a  hero.  Here  again  we 
find  the  striking  resemblance  of  our  bishop  to  the 
apostle,  elsewhere  referred  to.  Like  Paul,  Seybert 
did  not  want  to  build  on  other  men's  foundations,  or 
enter  into  their  labors.  He  preferred  to  "break  the 
ice"  himself,  to  use  a  favorite  and  charmingly  charac- 
teristic phrase  of  his.  He  would  rather  "plant",  and 
leave  some  Apollos  to  "water". 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity. 


About  the  time  the  work  in  Northampton  county, 
mentioned  above,  began,  Bro.  Seybert  had  a  some- 
what singular  dream,  one  night,  while  lodging  in  the 
vicinity  of  Springtown.  He  dreamed  of  coming  to  a 
place  which  appeared  so  dark  and  forbidding,  that  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  it  must  be  a  "place  where 
Satan's  seat  is".  Presently  the  dreamer  espied  a 
dilapidated  saw  mill.  Under  the  broken  wheel  was  a 
very  dark  pit.  The  thought  occurred  to  him  that 
this  must  certainly  be  the  "nest"  of  the  evil  spirits. 
Happening  to  find  a  leather  strap,  he  grasped  it  with 
both  hands  and  struck  into  the  supposed  demoniacal 
rendezvous.  The  effort  to  exorcise  the  demons  was 
in  vain.  In  his  dream  he  however  thought,  44  I  will 
try  it  again,  for  the  devil  certainly  is  there".  He 
therefore  smote  into  the  dark  hole  with  all  his  force, 
stroke  upon  stroke,  until  at  last  the  "old  demon" 
came  rushing  out  and  left  the  saw  mill.  The  place 
upon  this  became  somewhat  brighter.  Seybert  then 
watched  this  dragon's  pit  until  it  became  quite  bright, 
and  a  stream  of  clear  water  flowed  out  of  it,  in  which 
there  were  many  fishes,  of  which  he  began  to  catch 
some;  when  he  suddenly  awoke. 

Next  day  he  rode  farther  with  his  traveling  com- 
panion, a  circuit-preacher.  After  they  had  ridden 
several  miles,  Seybert  suddenly  exclaimed  with 
startled  surprise,  "See!  there  is  the  old  sawmill!" 
By  way  of  explanation  he  proceeded  to  relate  his 
dream,  and  what  surprised  him  was,  that  he  had 
never  seen  that  identical  saw  mill  until  he  first  saw  it 
in  his  dream  the  previous  night,  closing  his  narrative 


170  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


with  the  remark  that  a  work  of  grace  may  be  ex- 
pected in  that  vicinity,  but  not  without  severe  con- 
flicts. 

Now  note  the  following  facts.  The  circuit  preach- 
ers, after  preaching  in  that  vicinity  for  a  while,  be- 
came discouraged,  because  the  people's  hearts  were 
so  hard,  resisted  the  Word,  and  persecuted  the  ser- 
vants of  God.  When  Bro.  Seybert,  at  that  time 
Presiding  Elder  on  that  district,  heard  of  this,  he. 
promptly  and  vehemently  urged  the  preachers  there, 
to  continue,  and  insisted  they  must  by  no  means  stop 
preaching  in  the  vicinity  of  Springtown.  He  de- 
clared, the  Lord  certainly  had  a  work  for  them  to  do 
there,  which  would  certainly  be  fruitful,  though  they 
would  meet  with  opposition  in  its  performance.  In 
compliance  with  his  wish  they  accordingly  continued, 
and  as  a  result  many  precious  souls  were  saved,  a 
number  of  respectable  people  were  brought  to  Christ, 
and  a  glorious  reformation  took  place.  The  event 
proved  that  Seybert's  dream  was  a  prophecy,  and 
was  fulfilled.  This  is  another  illustration  of  the  re- 
markable prescience  with  which  he  was  endowed. 
His  faith  in  his  dreams  of  this  character  amounted  to 
conviction,  and  he  was  seldom,  if  ever,  disappointed 
in  his  sanguinary  expectations  aroused  by  these 
dreams. 

This  Spring  the  Ohio  conference  met  March  6th 
in  Stark  county,  and  the  Eastern  conference  met  on 
the  27th  in  New  Berlin,  Pa.  Three  preachers  located, 
and  five  were  received  into  the  itinerancy.  The 
salary  of  an  unmarried  preacher  was  #56.40.    At  this 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity . 


171 


conference  Bro.  Seybert  preached  the  ordination  ser- 
mon. This  he  considered  a  very  great  task,  "for  on 
such  an  occasion  one  must  preach  to  the  preachers", 
he  said. 

In  the  Eastern  conference  there  were  four  districts, 
and  the  Presiding  Elders  were  John  Seybert,  J.  P. 
Leib,  Philip  Wagner  and  Charles  Hammer.  The 
Presiding  Elders  of  the  Ohio  conference  were  Henry 
Niebel,  Samuel  Baumgardner  and  John  G.  Zinser. 
Of  the  traveling  preachers  of  the  Ohio  conference, 
Daniel  Swartz,  Louis  Einsel,  John  J.  Kopp  and  Henry 
Bucks  remain  among  us  to  this  day,  but  all  the  rest 
have  "fallen  asleep". 

The  next  incident  of  note  we  find  is  the  following: 
The  wife  of  a  certain  drunkard  attended  divine  ser- 
vice on  the  camp-ground  near  Upper  Milford,  Pa. 
On  her  return  home  her  brutal  husband  maltreated 
her  most  outrageously  on  account  of  it.  About  mid- 
night the  poor  woman  came  to  a  neighbor's  house  in 
such  a  condition,  that  it  was  feared  she  would  die  im- 
mediately. 

Such  cases,  where  wives  were  maltreated  by  their 
husbands  for  attending  the  meetings  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Association,  were  not  rare.  The  strength  of 
character  which  the  women  of  this  region  displayed, 
however,  was  something  remarkable.  Some  of  them 
were  extraordinarily  vicious,  and  unconquerable. 
They  rose  up  like  Amazons,  as  furious  and  despotic 
persecutors  of  their  husbands,  if  the  latter  dared  to 
serve  the  Lord.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  to  be  re- 
marked, that  in  this  same  region,  after  these  wives 


172  Life  and  Labors  of  fohn  Seybert. 


saw  their  folly,  they  were  equally  firm  on  the  side  of 
righteousness.  They  were  stubborn  on  the  side  of 
the  devil,  and  immovable  when  once  on  the  side  of 
the  Lord. 

Under  date  of  July  7th,  1837,  he  relates  an  incident 
which  occurred  in  Old  Berks  county,  Pa. 

Finding  his  horse  was  lame,  he  took  him  to  a 
blacksmith  to  have  him  examined.  While  he  was 
engaged  with  the  smith,  a  crowd  of  ruffians  came  up, 
who  were  profane  and  in  every  way  all  that  Satan 
could  wish.  One  of  them  was  far  worse  than  the 
rest,  and  distinguished  himself  by  quite  out-doing  the 
rest  of  the  crowd  in  extraordinary  profanity  and  vul- 
garity. Seybert  addressed  him  specially,  and  kindly 
requested  him  not  to  swear  so,  saying  that  it  was  a 
most  abominable  vice,  and  expressed  the  hope  that 
he  would  learn  to  see  his  sin  in  all  its  hideousness. 
But  this  well-meant  admonition  only  served  to  en- 
rage him,  and  the  fellow  blasphemed  still  more. 
Finally  Seybert  remarked,  "You  will  get  over  your 
swearing  when  you  come  to  die".  Upon  this  he 
asked  eagerly: 

"  What's  your  name?" 

"  Seybert",  was  the  laconic  answer. 

"I  just  thought  you  were  this  Seybert,"  shouted 
the  bully. 

Seybert  said,  "Yes,  and  I  suspect  you  have  been 
swearing  so  horribly  for  my  special  benefit;  but  such 
conduct  only  reflects  on  you,  not  on  me." 

But  now  he  was  enraged!  He  vauntingly  chal- 
lenged Seybert  to  a  fight,  but  for  this  the  latter  had 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity. 


173 


no  relish.  Then  he  began  to  curse  our  members, 
using  every  vile  epithet  he  could  think  of,  adding 
with  vicious,  over-boiling  vexation,  "and  you  are  the 
worst  wretch  of  all.  You  ought  to  be  flayed  alive 
like  an  eel,  and  torn  to  pieces."  Seeing  it  was  use- 
less to  take  any  pains  with  such  a  fellow,  and  as  it 
would  be  casting  pearls  before  a  swine  to  say  any- 
thing more,  Seybert  was  silent.  But  he  raved  on  for 
quite  a  while,  and  finally  left  with  his  disgraceful 
rabble. 

Bro.  Seybert  was  now  ' 'curious  to  know  whether 
such  a  desperado  was  a  member  of  any  church."  / 
The    by-standers    informed    him    that    he    was  a 
"Reformed" . — 

"Reformed" ,  exclaimed  Seybert,  "  surely  he  has 
been  through  the  devil's  'reforms  chool',  else  he  would 
be  a  better  man.  For  God  does  not  reform  people 
like  that!" 

Near  New  Holland,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.,  a  two  day's 
meeting  was  held  May  6th  and  7th,  where  there  was 
a  great  throng,  and  good  attention  to  the  Word. 
Deep  impressions  were  made.  It  was  a  gracious 
time.  But  a  rabble  of  the  sons  of  Belial  disturbed 
the  meeting  by  screaming,  yelling,  threatening  im- 
precations and  throwing  stones  and  other  missiles. 
However,  the  Lord  sent  his  angel  to  encamp  round 
about  his  people,  and  no  harm  befell  the  little  flock. 
Bro.  Seybert  exclaims: 

"Oh,  that  the  teachers  of  these  people  cared  more 
for  their  real  wTelfare!  We  could  then  better  enjoy 
the   religious  liberty  which  the  laws  of  the  land 


i  74  Ltfe  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


guarantee  to  us.  Nevertheless,  there  are  good  pros- 
pects of  better  days.  One  infallible  proof  of  this  is 
that  the  whisky  distilleries  (poison  machines)  and 
beer  breweries  are  growing  less,  and  liquor  drinking 
is  on  the  decline.  This  I  call  one  of  'the  signs  of  the 
.times 

May  13th,  being  Pentecost,  he  had  a  meeting  in 
Washington,  Pa.,  and  had  a  pentecostal  time.  The 
people  here  were  almost  Gospel-hardened.  They  had 
heard  the  Gospel  so  often  and  resisted  the  truth  so 
long  and  so  stubbornly,  that  nothing  seemed  to  move 
them. 

But  there  were  also  other  hindrances  to  the  work. 
The  love  of  many  waxed  cold.  There  were  also 
those  who  were  slaves  to  fashion,  and  conformed  to 
this  world.  Others  strove  about  "  non-essential  doc- 
trines, things  to  no  profit,  such  as  water-baptism  and 
other  forms  and  figures."  "To  what  profit",  asks 
Seybert,  "is  such  disputing?  Formalists  and  hypo- 
crites should  consider  that  the  essential  thing  about 
religion  is  the  kernel  and  not  the  shell!' 

o 

At  Upper  Milford  an  early  camp-meeting  was  held, 
which  continued  over  Sunday.  Some  of  the  friends 
were  concerned  lest  the  meeting  should  be  disturbed 
by  persecutors.  But  in  Lehigh  county  matters  seemeu 
to  have  progressed  to  such  an  extent  that  they  were 
enabled  to  hold  divine  services  without  being  sub- 
jected to  unlawful  molestations.  They  had  fought 
the  battle  through. 

June  5th  he  began  a  camp-meeting  in  Stone  Val- 
ley, Northumberland  Co.    Already  the  first  evening 


Self -Denial  and  Intrepidity. 


175 


there  were  conversions.  The  meeting  grew  better 
every  day,  and  on  the  last  two  days  there  was  a 
"sound  as  of  a  rushing  mighty  wind",  and  there  was 
a  great  commotion  among  the  "dry  bones  \  Many 
were  filled  with  life  from  God,  and  could  shout: 
"Life!  Life!  Eternal  life!  Hallelujah!" 

During  this  Summer  Seybert  also  held  a  camp- 
meeting  near  Orwigsburg.  At  first  he  "  could  not 
break  throttgli  fully."  Finally,  however,  people  began 
to  throw  off  their  "silken  vanities",  and  other  unbe- 
coming articles  of  apparel  which  belong  to  a  life  of 
haughty  worldliness,  but  which  have  no  consistency 
with  a  spirit  of  Christian  self-denial.  Then  the  spirit- 
ual atmosphere  became  purer,  victory  resulted,  and  a 
goodly  number  of  sinners  were  converted. 

Of  the  six  camp-meetings  which  he  held,  the  last 
one  was  held  in  Mahantango  Valley.  The  quick  and 
powerful  Word  of  God  "cut  deep  wounds  into  many 
hearts,  which  only  Jesus  Christ  could  heal  with  the 
Blood  of  His  atonement".  And  indeed  the  Great 
Physician  healed  many.  The  behavior  of  the  people 
was  so  excellent  as  to  excite  some  surprise.  No  one 
had  a  loaded  weapon  to  "shoot  this  Seybert",  as  was 
the  case  ten  years  ago. 

From  these  extracts  it  appears  that  civilization  and 
the  elevation  of  public  morals  and  the  increase  of  in- 
telligence alw7ays  follow  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 
Thank  God!  The  Evangelical  Association  has  never 
done  any  community  any  harm,  but  the  results  of  her 
efforts  have  always  been  beneficient.  If  only  all  her 
enemies  and  opposers  in  ecclesiastical  garb  could  say 


i  j6  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


as  much  for  themselves.  Diluted  or  perverted 
Christianity  is  next  to  Paganism  itself, '  the  greatest 
curse  that  can  befall  a  nation. 

In  the  Winter  of  1836  he  had  a  blessed  meeting  of 
five  days  duration  in  Lebanon,  Pa.  A  number  of 
penitents  were  soundly  converted.  Among  others  a 
somewhat  notorious  character  was  converted,  known 
as  the  "great  drunkard  of  Lebanon".  For  about 
twenty  years  this  man  had  led  a  most  dissolute  life, 
so  that  his  family  was  thrown  into  extreme  distress 
and  poverty,  in  fact  became  dependent  upon  the 
benevolence  of  their  neighbors.  Meanwhile  the  wife 
had  been  genuinely  converted,  and  began  to  pray 
most  earnestly  for  the  salvation  of  the  wretched  man, 
continuing  night  and  day  in  unwearying  importunity. 
Besides  this  she  deported  herself  with  great  gentle- 
ness and  exhibited  much  patience  in  the  sad,  distress- 
ful lot  into  which  her  husband's  debauchery  had 
plunged  her.  The  Rum-devil  had  dragged  him  to 
the  very  portals  of  hell.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  reached 
and  awakened  him,  and  granted  him  repentance  unto 
life.  He  saw  his  condition,  resolved  to  cease  from 
his  bestial  habit,  to  forsake  his  besotted  companions, 
and  become  a  Christian.  His  companions  made 
every  effort  to  tempt  the  poor  wretch  back  to  his 
cups  again,  but  in  vain.  He  stood  firm  by  the  grace 
of  God.  Some  who  professed  to  be  his  friends  urged 
him  to  "break  off  gradually,  for  fear  it  might  kill  him 
to  quit  too  abruptly!"  But  he  acted  the  man,  boldly 
declaring  he  would  rather  die  than  take  another  drop 
of  the  sorcerous  poison  of  hell.    He  would  no  longer 


Self- Denial  and  Intrepidity. 


177 


walk  in  the  counsel  of  the  ungodly,  nor  stand  in  the 
way  of  sinners,  nor  sit  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful. 
He  began  to  associate  with  God's  people,  attended 
their  meetings  and  prayed  publicly  and  privately  for 
deliverance.  His  penitential  struggle  was  protracted 
and  severe,  but  God's  children  wept  tears  of  deep 
sympathy  with  the  unfortunate  man,  and  ceased  not^ 
day  nor  night  to  pray  for  his  salvation.  At  last  he 
was  gloriously  saved  and  filled  with  peace  and 
heavenly  joy.  From  this  time  on  he  lived  a  godly, 
pious  life,  treated  his  wife  with  becoming  respect  and 
sincere  affection,  and  provided  for  his  own  household 
like  a  true  believer.  He  became  a  remarkable  ex- 
ample of  what  God's  grace  can  do  for  the  deeply 
fallen. 

At  last  he  approached  death  as  a  Christian.  On 
his  death-bed  he  was  so  full  of  spiritual  life  and 
power,  that  visitors  were  profoundly  moved  by  his 
earnest  and  godly  admonitions.  Many  were  led  to 
repentance  by  this  means.  When  at  last  his  hour 
came  to  die,  he  called  his  wife  and  children  around 
his  bedside,  gave  them  his  parting  admonition  and 
benediction,  never  letting  go  the  hand  until  each  had 
solemnly  promised  to  meet  him  in  heaven,  and  then 
passed  peacefully  away.  Bro.  Seybert  concludes: 
"Now,  ye  drunkards,  read,  hear  and  consider  this! 
Remember  that  though  you  are  on  the  way  to  dam- 
nation, yet  you  can  to-day  be  saved  as  well  as  this 
man,  if  you  will  quit  your  drinking,  and  turn  to  the 
Lord.  The  Lord  help  you  to  this  end.  Amen." 
12 


1 78  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

LAST  YEARS  AS  PRESIDING  ELDER. 

The  work  of  the  Evangelical  Association  in  the 
city  of  Allentown  began  in  1837.  The  brethren  Sey- 
bert and  Altimos  were  the  first  to  effect  an  entrance 
there.  At  that  time  it  was  a  notoriously  wicked  city. 
The  two  missionaries  could  only  secure  the  cold  and 
inconvenient  market  house  in  which  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  while  the  authorities  granted  the  use  of  the 
court  house  to  an  infidel  for  a  lecture  against  Chris- 
tianity the  same  day. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  in  Allentown  in  1837. 
The  heralds  of  the  Cross  were  left  out  in  the  cold, 
but  the  county  hall  was  opened  to  a  blasphemer  of 
the  name  of  the  World's  Redeemer.  But  they  sub- 
mitted patiently,  and  went  to  the  market  place  at 
about  ten  o'clock,  where  Bro.  Altimos  preached  from 
Heb.  13:  12-14.  At  about  two  o'clock  they  went 
again,  and  Bro.  Seybert  preached  from  St.  John 
1:11-12.  It  happened  to  be  election  day.  Con- 
sequently the  city  was  unusually  full  of  people,  and 
there  was  much  disorder.  Several  of  the  crowd  who 
gathered  in  the  services  attempted  to  disturb  them 
by  loud  talking,  others  by  boisterous  laughter  and  all 
sorts  of  confusion.  However,  no  attention  was  paid 
to  this,  it  was  patiently  endured,  and  the  preachers 
were  exceedingly  glad  that  some  decent  people  were 
present,  who  gave  close  and  respectful  attention  to 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder,  179 


the  Word,  and  upon  whom  it  seemed  to  have  had  a 
great  effect. 

In  January  1838  Seybert  preached  at  the  funeral  of 
a  young  lady,  who  had  lived,  up  to  the  time  of  her 
sickness,  without  God  and  without  hope  in  the  world. 
She  was  the  only  daughter  of  a  pious  mother.  There 
was  much  weeping  on  her  funeral  occasion,  as  the 
young  lady  had  a  large  circle  of  acquaintances,  and 
her  spiritual  condition  was  well  known.  On  her 
death-ded  she  lamented  her  folly,  in  having  neglected 
to  seek  the  salvation  of  her  soul  In  the  days  of  health, 
and  bitterly  bemoaned  her  sad  condition.  Oh,  had 
she  heeded  her  good  mother's  fervent  admonitions, 
she  might  have  died  in  peace! 

When  at  length  her  disease  reached  a  very  danger- 
ous stage,  and  eternity  seemed  to  be  casting  its 
shadows  over  her,  she  got  out  of  bed,  despite  her 
great  weakness,  fell  upon  her  knees,  and  in  a  strong 
agony  of  fear  cried  unto  God  for  mercy  and  grace. 
Hell  seemed  moved  to  meet  her  at  her  coming,  and 
the  pains  of  death  got  hold  upon  her.  The  effort 
exhausted  her;  she  sank  to  the  floor,  and  was  lifted 
into  bed  for  the  last  time.  In  this  excited  condition 
she  went  into  eternity.  Whether  she  obtained  mercy 
in  those  last  hours,  God  alone  knows. 

At  Manheim,  the  following  sad  incident  occurred 
about  that  time: 

Here  lived  a  man,  who  in  his  youth  had  been 
addicted  to  strong  drink,  and  through  excessive  dissi- 
pations had  contracted  a  disease  in  one  of  his  legs 
which  was  pronounced  incurable.   Thinking  he  would 


1 80  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


have  to  die,  he  stopped  his  habits  of  intoxication, 
began  to  pray,  and  after  a  time  professed  conversion, 
upon  which  he  led  a  pious  and  upright  life. 

The  young  man  loved  a  devoted,  virtuous  maiden 
of  the  neighborhood,  who  was  also  well-to-do  tempor- 
ally. As  every  one  entertained  confidence  that  he 
was  saved  from  his  vices,  and  thought  he  gave 
promise  of  faithfulness  and  prosperity,  they  were 
married.  On  account  of  his  blameless  life  the  class 
elected  him  as  their  leader,  and  finally,  as  he  evinced 
talents  of  no  mean  order,  he  became  a  preacher,  was 
received  into  the  itinerancy,  and  in  due  time  was 
ordained  as  Deacon. 

But  he  began  to  decline,  soon  after,  both  in 
temporal  and  spiritual  things.  His  love  waxed  cold, 
and  his  zeal  for  the  cause  of  Christ  visibly  declined. 
Now  and  then  he  was  also  known  to  taste  of  the 
sorcerous  cup  again.  The  conference  was  obliged 
to  depose  him  from  the  ministry  and  expel  him  from 
the  church.  All  efforts  to  save  him  were  futile.  If 
he  did  occasionally  promise  amendment  and  appear 
penitent,  it  was  only  the  mood  of  the  hour  and 
passed  away  like  a  shadow.  Soon  he  sank  back 
into  the  terrible  coils  of  the  serpent  of  the  still.  In 
short,  he  became  the  chief  of  drunkards,  and  one  of 
the  most  desperate  and  malicious  men  in  the  world. 
Once  he  tried  to  kill  a  man,  but  fortunately  failed. 
At  another  time  he  attempted  to  set  a  house  and 
barn  on  fire,  but  was  prevented  by  being  discovered. 
Thus  he  continued. 

He  had  formerly  been  a  successful  school-teacher. 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder. 


181 


Some  one  asked  him  during  the  Summer  of  1837. 
whether  he  would  teach  school  the  coming  Winter, 
to  which  he  replied,  "By  next  Christmas  I  shall  teach 
school  in  hell,  conquer  the  devil,  and  refute  the 
Almiofhtv  with  mv  concordance".  Shortly  before 
Christmas  he  began  once  more  to  teach  school. 
What  a  shame,  by  the  way,  to  entrust  the  education 
of  tender  youth  to  such  an  outcast!  But  this  used  to 
be  the  custom  in  those  parts,  to  employ  drunkards 
and  all  sorts  of  street  loafers  for  school-teachers.  — 
Soon  afterwards  one  of  his  neighbors  found  him  lying 
helplessly  intoxicated  on  the  street,  loaded  the 
drunken  schoolmaster  on  his  waeon,  and  dragged 
him  to  his  door,  like  a  dead  brute.  In  the  attempt 
to  walk  the  few  steps  to  his  house,  he  fell,  injuring 
one  of  his  limbs,  but  as  soon  as  it  seemed  sufficiently 
healed,  he  returned  to  the  school  room.  On  the  way 
he  became  very  sick,  with  a  disease  which  in  a  few 
days  sent  him  into  eternity.  On  Christmas  he  lay 
in  his  winding  sheet.  Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not 
mocked. 

During  the  last  night  of  his  life,  his  chamber  was 
a  scene  of  horror.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  keep 
him  in  his  room.  He  declared  it  full  of  demons. 
But  he  was  compelled  to  take  the  fearful  journey, 
which  without  doubt  ended  in  a  place  of  eternal  tor- 
ment where  there  is  no  peace  nor  rest. 

At  the  close  of  his  term  of  service  on  Canaan 
district,  Seybert  wrote  a  report,  of  which  we  give  a 
brief  extract: 

"As  the  time  of  my  departure  from  Canaan  district 


1 82  Life  and  Labors  of  "John  Seybert, 


has  now  come  for  the  second  time,  I  feel  inwardly 
constrained  to  write  something  of  what  God  has  done 
for  us,  during  these  last  four  years. 

"When  I  came  to  this  district  four  years  ago,  I 
found  but  three  circuits,  namely,  Schuylkill,  Lebanon 
.'and  Lancaster.  In  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  a  feeble 
beginning  had  been  made  in  converting  the  Germans. 
Schuykill  and  Lebanon  circuits  I  found  in  a  prosper- 
ous condition,  but  on  Lancaster  circuit  a  sad  state  of 
affairs  prevailed.  As  my  district  was  small  (extend- 
ing only  over  seven  counties),  I  spent  part  of  my  time, 
during  the  first  two  years  of  my  term,  in  looking  up 
new  appointments,  and  that  in  dark  regions  eastward.. 
The  Lord  blessed  my  efforts,  and  the  boundaries 
of  my  district  were  extended  about  sixty  miles  farther 
in  that  direction. 

"  We  now  all  united  upon  the  whole  district,  to 
extend  its  bounds  in  all  directions.  By  Divine 
assistance  we  were  successful,  so  that  we  now  have 
six  charges  instead  of  three;  in  Philadelphia  there  is 
a  flourishing  society  and  Sunday-school;  fourteen 
preachers  now  man  the  field,  instead  of  seven.  Thus 
hath  the  Lord  helped  us." 

March  28th,  1838,  the  Eastern  conference  elected 
Seybert  for  the  fourth  and  last  time  to  the  office  of 
Presiding  Elder.  For  the  second  time  he  was  placed 
in  charge  of  Salem  district,  comprising  Union,  Centre, 
Columbia  and  Lycoming  circuits.  As  always,  this 
re-election  was  only  an  occasion  for  renewed  humilia- 
tion. He  sought  grace  anew  for  his  duties.  There 
was  no  pride  of  official  station  in  him,  neither  was  he 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder.  183 


ambitious  for  promotion.  When  work  was  to  be  done 
he  knew  not  himself,  as  Presiding  Elder,  but  only  as 
the  servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Ecclesiastical 
power  had  no  attractions  for  him.  All  his  life  time 
he  studied  the  task  of  the  Greek  philosopher,  "Know 
Thyself".  And  his  modest  manner  showed  that  he 
had  made  progress  in  that  fundamental  branch  of 
knowledge.  The  real  greatness  of  distinguished  men 
is  that  they  do  not  feel  their  greatness.  The  strength 
of  spiritual  giants  is  explained  by  their  consciousness 
of  weakness.     Humility  is  a  mark  of  worth. 

Hardly  had  he  arrived  on  his  new  district,  before 
he  was  already  exploring  new  territories.  On  one 
of  his  exploring  trips  in  the  valley  of  the  Catawissa, 
Seybert  was  overtaken  in  the  month  of  April  by  a 
fearful  storm.  He  did  not  observe  its  approach  long 
before  it  overtook  him.  Riding  listlessly  along 
through  the  mountain-passes,  buried  in  a  deep  reverie, 
he  was  suddenly  awakened  from  his  musings  by  the 
low  muttering  of  distant  thunder.  Looking  upward 
with  his  calm  blue  eyes,  he  saw  the  massive  clouds 
gathering  overhead,  black  as  night  and  angry,  amid 
the  wildest  commotion.  Fierce  lightnings  leaping 
from  its  sombre  folds,  lit  up  the  ancient  mountain 
heights,  as  with  the  gleam  of  Jehovah's  " glittering 
sword".  The  mad  howl  of  the  approaching  tempest 
was  distinctly  heard,  and  a  dismal,  hollow  roar,  as  of 
heavens  artillery,  crept  along  the  valleys  and  rushed 
through  the  ravines.  The  sky  looked  inky  black,  as 
the  lightnings  leaped  from  their  ebony  sheaths,  and 
crossed  swords  above  the  smoking  altar-summits  of 


I B4  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


the  everlasting  hills.  The  heaped-up  folds  of  the 
storm  cloud  threatened  every  moment  to  let  go  its 
torrents.  Seybert  rode  calmly  on  in  the  fearless 
simplicity  which  a  clear  conscience  imparts.  He 
reached  a  human  dwelling  just  as  the  rain  began. 
:  I  Riding  under  a  shed,  he  fastened  his  horse,  took 
I  down  his  saddle  bags  and  hurried  to  the  house,  where 
he  was  permitted  to  enter.  By  this  time  the  storm 
was  raging  in  full  fury,  and  he  was  at  first  pleased 
with  this  timely  shelter.  He  supposed  he  had  found 
a  Christian  family,  for  he  had  noticed  that  one  of  the 
daughters  was  reading  aloud  from  a  prayer  book  as 
he  entered.  Presently,  however,  the  man  of  the 
house  became  suspicious  that  his  uninvited  guest 
might  be  one  of  those  hated  preachers  of  repentance, 
of  whom  so  much  was  said  in  those  times.  And 
thereupon  his  face  wore  a  forbidding  scowl.  Seybert 
sat  at  a  window,  quietly  watching  the  war  of  the 
elements  without.  His  contemplative  mind  saw  in 
the  storm  the  evidence  of  the  majesty  and  power  of 
his  God.  To  every  thunderbolt  that  came  crashing 
down  through  the  agitated  scene,  and  that  sent  its 
echoes  rolling  along  the  mountain  sides,  he  inwardly 
responded  "Amen".  It  was  to  him  a  delight  to 
hear  how 

"  Loud  and  long 
The  thunder  shouts 
His  battle  song". 

After  the  storm  had  somewhat  subsided,  the  host, 
who  seemed  to  have  been  driven  like  a  wild  beast 
into  his  lair,  by  the  storm,  ventured  to  question 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder.  185 


Seybert.  (It  is  notorious  that  the  greatest  sinners 
are  the  greatest  cowards.)  He  began:  "Well,  where 
do  you  come  from?  " 

" 1  come  from  the  lower  counties  and  am  on  my 
way  farther  northward  to  Catawissa",  replied  Seybert 
calmly. 

"  What  are  you  after,  anyhow?  "  was  further  asked 
gruffly. 

u  Why,"  was  the  answer,  "  I  am  an  itinerant 
preacher,  and  my  business  is  to  proclaim  the  Word 
of  God,  to  all  who  will  hear  it." 

Upon  receiving  this  interesting  piece  of  informa- 
tion, the  host,  whose  horrible  suspicions  were  thereby 
more  than  justified,  became  enraged  at  once,  and 
began  to  scold  terribly: 

"  You  don't  need  to  come  to  our  neighborhood; 
we  have  preachers  and  churches  too.  You  needn't 
think  we  are  heathens  here.  Such  cursed  tramps  as 
you  are,  may  just  keep  out  of  our  houses.  You  are 
a  Methodist,  and  nothing  else." 

Seybert  here  interposed:  "I  would  not  be  ashamed 
of  being  a  Methodist,  if  I  were  one;  but  I  am  not  a 
Methodist" — By  this  time  the  man  was  so  angry  that 
Seybert  thought  it  best  to  leave  at  once,  as  he  did 
not  consider  himself  safe  in  that  house.  Politely 
thanking  the  family  for  their  friendly  shelter,  which 
he  had  temporarily  received,  he  mounted  and  rode 
away  before  the  storm  was  over.  He  concluded  he 
would  rather  endure  the  wrath  of  the  elements,  than 
the  storm  of  anger  that  was  brewing  in  this  man. 
As  he  rode  away,  the  monster  watched  him  from  the 


1 86"  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


window,  grinning  savagely,  because  he  was  so 
successful  in  driving  the  preacher  out  into  the  storm. 

At  a  certain  camp-meeting  in  1838,  a  female 
drunkard,  in  the  most  loathsome  depths  of  degrada- 
tion, was  converted.  She  could  gulp  down  incredible 
quantities  of  brandy,  and  was  sunken  far  below  the 
brutes  in  excessive  dissipation.  Her  husband  was 
already  buried  in  a  drunkard's  grave,  and  her  two 
daughters  were  accomplished  worshippers  at  the 
shrine  of  Bacchus.  During  the  meeting  this  female 
sot  happened  to  arrive  on  the  encampment  in  a  com- 
paratively sober  condition.  In  all  her  repulsiveness 
of  person,  she  took  a  seat  among  the  assembled  wor- 
shippers. This  brought  her  under  the  sound  of  the 
Gospel,  and  she  almost  immediately  fell  under  con- 
viction. The  truth  flashed  into  her  benighted  soul, 
and  she  cried  out,  "O  Lord,  save  me!"  God  had 
mercy  upon  her.  He  took  her  feet  out  of  the  horrible 
pit,  placed  them  upon  a  Rock  and  established  her 
goings.    She  is  indeed  a  miracle  of  grace. 

"Jesus  the  prisoner's  fetters  breaks, 
And  bruises  Satan's  head  ; 
Power  into  strengthless  souls  he  speaks, 
And  life  into  the  dead. 

Hear  Hiin,  ye  deaf,  His  praise,  ye  dumb, 
Your  loosened  tongues  employ, 
Ye  blind,  behold  your  Saviour  come, 
And  leap,  ye  lame,  for  joy." 

From  a  report  which  Bro.  Seybert  wrote,  after  his 
second  round  on  his  district  was  completed,  the  fol- 
lowing incident  is  of  interest: 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder.  187 


July  2d  he  held  a  camp-meeting  in  Tioga  county, 
Pa.,  which  was  richly  blessed  of  God. 

Wednesday  was  Independence  Day,  and  a  volun- 
teer company  of  militia  came  upon  the  grounds  in 
uniform,  with  martial  music  and  in  all  the  glory  of 
war,  to  hear  a  sermon.  Bro.  Seybert  preached  a  ser- 
mon appropriate  to  the  occasion,  in  which  he  showed 
in  what  civil  as  well  as  religious  liberty  consists,  and 
sought  to  describe  the  prerogatives  of  both.  In  the 
evening"  one  of  the  soldiers  fell  into  distress  of  soul, 
cried  mightily  unto  God  for  the  pardon  of  his  sins, 
until  he  was  translated  into  the  marvellous  light  and 
liberty  of  the  people  of  God,  and  was  fully  enlisted  in 
the  army  of  the  Lord.  Quite  a  number  united  with 
the  Association  as  a  result  of  this  meeting.  Speak- 
ing of  the  condition  of  the  people  in  a  certain  com- 
munity in  Tioga  county,  he  wrote  the  following  some- 
time during  the  Summer  of  1838: 

"  When  we  began  our  work  a  few  years  ago  in  this 
region,  the  religious  aspect  of  society  was  sad  indeed. 
False  teachers  and  the  devil  had  confused  and  des- 
olated everything,  so  that  profanity,  gluttony,  intoxi- 
cation, Sabbath-breaking  and  all  sorts  of  vices  were 
terribly  prevalent.  The  passion  for  drink  was  so 
great,  that  brandy  was  lugged  on  their  shoulders  a 
distance  of  twenty  miles,  over  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains, rather  than  be  deprived  of  it. 

u  Soon,  however,  some  of  the  worst  swearers  be- 
gan to  pray,  and  some  of  the  worst  drunkards  became 
sober,  while  some  of  the  most  quarrelsome  received 
peace  from  God  and  became  decent,  peaceable  citizens. 


l88  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


And  the  Scripture  was  fulfilled,  saying:  'The  wilder- 
ness and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for  them, 
and  the  desert  shall  blossom  as  the  rose;  it  shall 
blossom  abundantly,  and  rejoice  with  joy  and  sing- 
ing.' 

"  Behold,  what  the  Lord  by  His  Word  and  Spirit 
hath  wrought  here!  O,  ye  anointed  men  and  youths, 
who  have  been  called  of  God  to  preach,  will  ye  not 
go  out  with  us  into  the  field  against  the  Philistines 
which  are  towards  evening  and  towards  midnight! 
And  ye,  who  have  been  blessed  of  the  Lord  with 
worldly  goods,  will  ye  not  open  your  hands  with 
benevolent  deeds  and  gifts  to  support  the  Gospel  and 
for  the  spread  of  pure  doctrine,  when  ye  see  how 
much  good  the  Lord  does  through  this  means!  And 
ye  poor,  who  would  be  glad  to  contribute,  if  you  had 
the  means,  you  can  contribute  by  your  prayers. — But 
let  all  pray  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  He  may  send 
laborers  into  His  vineyard.  For  truly  the  harvest  is 
great,  but  the  laborers  are  few*  On  the  contrary, 
there  are  many  hirelings  and  horrible  wolves  who  do 
not  spare  the  flock." 

August  i  ith  and  12th  he  dedicated  a  new  sanctuary 
in  Union  county,  Pa.,  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God. 
A  large  concourse  of  people  was  in  attendance,  and  a 
considerable  number  of  the  friends  on  the  district. 
The  Word  was  preached  in  power,  and  made  an  irre- 
sistible impression  upon  the  hearers.  Believers  were 
edified,  instructed  and  encouraged,  while  many  be- 
came convinced  of  the  need  of  living  a  holy  life,  and 
were  led  to  repentance.     Sunday  evening,  a  wonder- 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder,  189 


ful  commotion  occurred;  many  wept,  not  a  few  praised 
the  Lord,  and  Bro.  Seybert  rejoiced  that  not  only  had 
the  house  been  dedicated,  but  also  the  hearts  of  many 
of  those  present. 

August  20th  Seybert  began  a  camp-meeting,  during 
which  they  were  favored  with  good  weather  and  a  large 
attendance.  "Already  on  the  first  evening,"  he  says,, 
"we  had  a  good  time,  but  not  until  Tuesday  did  we 
have  a  perfect  victory  (vollkommenen  Durchbrnch),  when 
many  tears  were  shed  by  penitents  who  wrestled  for 
salvation."  The  spiritual  interest  increased  to  the  end 
of  the  meeting.  On  the  last  night  there  was  much 
feeling,  but  on  account  of  the  throng,  it  was  im- 
possible to  labor  with  satisfaction  with  the  penitents. 
In  this  night  several  wicked  persons  undertook  to 
drag  from  the  altar  and  from  the  encampment  a 
woman,  who,  in  profound  penitential  grief,  was  plead- 
ing for  mercy.  When  Bro.  Seybert  became  aware 
that  they  were  determined  to  execute  their  diabolical 
purpose,  he  remonstrated,  and  asked  them  at  least  to 
take  the  poor  soul  away  in  a  decent  manner.  But  in 
vain.  They  laid  ruthless  hands  upon  her,  and  literally 
tore  her  away  in  a  most  brutal  manner  and  dragged 
her  off.    He  remarks: 

Here  was  an  opportunity  of  observing  the  malice 
and  bitter  enmity  of  Satan  and  his  serpent  brood 
against  the  Kingdom  of  God.  And  this  serpent 
brood  are  the  rulers  in  Babel  and  in  the  kingdom 
of  Anti-Christ.  Had  they  the  power,  they  would 
tear  pilgrims  away  from  the  very  gates  of  Heaven 
and  dra^  them  down  into  hell  itself. 


190  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


This  incident  occurred  in  September,  1838,  at  a 
camp-meeting  in  George's  Valley,  Centre  Co.,  Pa.: 

On  Friday  afternoon,  Brother  Berger  preached  on 
Heb.  2:3.  His  sermon  produced  a  powerful  effect; 
many  people  were  awakened,  and  among  others  a 
certain  woman  was  so  wrought  upon  by  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord,  that  for  her  there  was  no  alternative  but  to 
seek  the  Lord.  She  began  to  tremble  and  weep. 
Her  husband,  who  sat  opposite  her,  soon  observed 
this,  and,  fearing  she  would  go  to  the  altar  of  prayer, 
to  which  he  was  bitterly  opposed,  he  promptly  arose, 
went  over  to  where  his  wife  was,  and  took  hold  of 
her  to  detain  her.  She  was  just  in  the  act  of  going 
forward,  when  he  prevented  her.  He  was  not  at  all 
violent,  but  firm.  There  they  both  stood,  the  wife 
wanting  to  go  to  the  altar  of  prayer,  the  husband 
keeping  her  back.  In  her  distress,  the  poor,  sin-sick 
woman  now  attempted  to  get  upon  her  knees,  right 
among  the  people  where  they  were.  But  he  also 
prevented  this.  Upon  this,  she  began  in  her  desper- 
ation, to  pray  standing,  leaning  upon  her  husband's 
arm.  Most  affectingly  did  she  plead  for  mercy  and 
for  salvation,  weeping  so  bitterly  that  it  became  a 
matter  of  astonishment  how  her  husband  could 
endure  it,  especially  since  he  did  not  seem  to  be 
excited  nor  angry.  But  there  the  determined  man 
stood,  in  the  presence  of  a  multitude,  holding  his  peni- 
tent wife  in  his  arms,  unwilling  to  let  her  kneel  down 
even.  At  last  the  light  of  salvation  burst  in  upon  the 
distressed  and  agonizing  soul,  and  she  found  the 
Pearl  of  Great  Price.     By  this  time,  however,  the 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder. 


191 


stubborn  captor  himself  began  to  quake;  he  trembled 
like  an  aspen  leaf,  and  tears  involuntarily  rolled  down 
his  hardened  face,  and  it  seemed  certain  that  he 
would  have  to  surrender  himself.  The  probability 
was  that  he  would  sink  down  with  his  burden.  But 
he  held  out.  It  was  observed,  however,  that  as  they 
went  home  together,  he  was  of  sadder  countenance 
than  his  wife,  who  was  full  of  joy. 

The  camp-meetings  this  year  were  all  blessed  with 
revivals  and  many  conversions.  He  who  walketh  in 
the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  and 
holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand,  had  not 
yet  forsaken  his  people. 

At  the  above  meeting  above  fifty  were  converted, 
nearly  all  of  whom  joined  the  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion, notwithstanding  that  Bro.  Seybert,  as  related 
by  an  eye-witness,  urged  very  strongly  and  solemnly, 
that  those  who  did  so  were  called  upon  forever  to 
deny  themselves  of  worldliness  and  everything  sinful, 
and  must  solemnly  obligate  themselves,  to  live  godly 
lives  according  to  the  Word  of  God.  This  same 
witness  relates  how  one  day  during  this  meeting, 
after  the  sons  of  Belial  had  vainly  tried  to  break  up 
the  meeting  by  setting  fire  to  the  dry  forests,  and 
their  fire  always  went  out  again,  Seybert  came  upon 
the  preacher's  stand  in  that  peculiar,  animated  hust- 
ling way  of  his  exclaiming:  "Now  the  devil's  brush- 
fire  is  already  out  again,  but  God's  holy,  heavenly 
converting  fire  shoots  its  fervid  flames  higher  and 
higher  with  every  hour." 

For  some  time  he  had  been  urging  the  various 


192  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


charges  to  procure  parsonages  for  their  preachers, 
and  he  was  pleased  to  see  that  his  good  advice  was 
being  followed. 

During  the  year  Bro.  Seybert  traveled  three  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  seventy-one  miles,  preached 
two  hundred  and  fifty  times,  and  held  six  successful 
camp-meetings. 

New  Year's  day,  1839,  he  had  the  joy  of  seeing 
a  "Cripple  converted",  referring  namely  to  a  man 
by  that  name.  That  day  he  also  held  a  temper- 
ance meeting,  in  company  with  a  Presbyterian  and 
a  Reformed  preacher.  It  was  somewhere  in  the 
Muncy  mountains,  where,  he  says,  "there  was  a 
terrible  state  of  drunkenness.  The  state  of  affairs 
was  in  fact  almost  unparalleled.  But  I  am  glad  that 
right  here  five  drunkards  have  been  converted,  and 
now  live  temperate,  upright  lives.  But  the  number 
of  drunkards  is  so  vast,  that  I  know  of  no  similar 
locality.  Among  the  many,  however,  there  is  one 
extraordinary  drinker,  who  one  Winter  was  so  badly 
frozen  while  intoxicated,  that  both  his  feet  had  to  be 
amputated.  But  it  made  no  difference.  Though  he 
is  without  feet,  he  continues  to  drink.  This  demon- 
strates the  awful  power  Satan  exercises  over  those 
who  yield  to  the  slavery  of  drink." 

About  this  time  Bro.  Seybert  was  permitted  to  see 
some  of  the  glorious  fruits  of  his  pioneer  labors 
among  the  crags  of  the  Loyalsock  mountains.  It 
was  indeed  a  wretched  region,  being-  almost  inacces- 
sible  on  account  of  the  rocks  and  mountains.  And 
the  people  were  as  rough  as  the  country.    But  these 


Last  Years  as  Presiding  Elder. 


193' 


were  no  obstacles  to  him.  It  seemed  as  if  he 
delighted  in  taking  the  hardest  routes  and  attacking- 
the  hardest  places,  where  no  one  else  would  go. 
These  places,  too,  were  most  in  need  of  Gospel  work. 
Their  very  wickedness  seemed  to  be  an  inducement 
to  him.  He  had  great  faith  in  the  elevating  influence 
of  the  pure  Gospel,  and  afterwards  it  was  a  great 
pleasure  to  him  to  visit  these  places  and  notice  the 
beneficient  effects  of  his  labors  and  of  those  who 
followed  him. 

On  a  certain  tour  over  the  mountains  in  1840,  in 
company  with  the  late  Rev.  Solomon  Neitz,  his, 
German  biographer,  and  Rev.  J.  Sensel  of  blessed 
memory,  Bro.  Seybert  led  them  over  a  long  tedious 
mountain  road,  through  snow  three  or  four  feet  deep.. 
His  companions  protested,  for  they  could  have  taken 
a  much  more  convenient  and  comfortable  route. 
"No",  he  said  firmly,  "we  will  go  by  way  of  Lo)/al- 
sock,  for  there  the  people  are  glad  when  they  see 
traveling  preachers".  He  had  many  seals  to  his 
ministry  there,  and  took  a  parental  delight  in  visiting- 
his  spiritual  children.  He  had  "broken  down  some 
of  the  walls  of  Babylon  "  there,  and  he  was  going  to 
see  the  ruins.  The  work  was  truly  a  success.  One 
of  the  landlords,  for  instance,  complained  that  he 
4 'could  not  sell  one  keg  of  whiskey  now,  where  he: 
used  to  sell  five 

13 


194  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  EPISCOPACY,  ETC. 

The  General  Conference  began  its  seventh  session, 
March  25th,  1839,  at  a  place  three  miles  south-west 
of  Muehlheim,  Centre  Co.,  Pa.,  in  Mosser's  church. 
The  work  of  the  church  was  divided  into  three 
Annual  Conference  territories,  called,  respectively,  the 
"East  Pennsylvania,"  "West  Pennsylvania"  and 
Ohio ".  These  conferences  represented  work  in 
the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  Maryland, 
Virginia,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Upper  Canada. 
Such  was  the  extent  of  the  field  of  operations.  The 
Evangelical  Association  had  at  that  time  in  all  eighty 
itinerant  preachers,  thirty-six  circuits,  two  stations 
and  four  missions.  The  total  membership  was  about 
eieht  thousand. 

Thirty-nine  Elders,  composing  this  body,  were 
present.  Rev.  Thomas  Buck  was  President  of  the 
Conference,  and  Rev.  Geo.  Brickley  was  its  Secre- 
tary. 

Following  are  the  names  of  the  delegates: 
Thomas  Buck,  George  Brickley,  John  Seybert, 
Joseph  Long,  Francis  Hoffman,  Charles  Hammer, 
Michael  F.  Mees,  Daniel  Berger,  James  Barber, 
Daniel  Kehr,  John  M.  Sindlinger,  Charles  Hesser, 
Solomon  G.  Miller,  Samuel  von  Gundy,  John  Lutz, 
Peter  Wist,   Henry  Niebel,  John  G.  Zinser,  John 


The  Episcopacy. 


!95 


Sensel,  Philip  Wagner,  Joseph  Harlacher,  John 
Young,  John  P.  Leib,  William  W.  Orwig,  Henry 
Bucks,  Elias  Stover,  Jacob  Boas,  John  J.  Kopp,. 
Absalom  B.  Shafer,  Peter  Getz,  Aaron  Yambert. 

On  the  third  day  of  the  session,  being  March  27th, 
1839,  the  General  Conference  decided  to  elect  a 
General  Superintendent,  or  Bishop,  and  their  choice 
unanimously  fell  upon  John  Seybert.  This  election 
was  a  great  surprise  to  him,  and  of  course  came  to 
him  entirely  unsought.  It  caused  him  great  distress 
of  mind.  During  the  first  few  months  after  his  eleva- 
tion to  the  highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  church,  he 
was  known  to  weep  almost  constantly.  He  prayed 
much  in  secret,  and  several  times  burst  out  into  a 
flood  of  tears  in  public.  The  more  he  contemplated 
the  matter,  the  more  crushing  his  new  responsibility 
became  to  him.  At  first  he  could  not  endure  the 
thought  that  he  should  be  charged  with  the  ecclesi- 
astical superintendency  over  eighty  preachers,  three 
conferences  and  eight  thousand  members.  Fre- 
quently he  exclaimed:  "  Why  in  the  world  did  they 
not  choose  a  man  who  is  more  suitable?"  True,  he 
was  perfectly  willing  to  devote  all  his  talents  to  the 
work,  but  he  considered  them  far  too  insignificant  for 
this  great  office.  The  agitation  of  his  mind,  during 
the  first  few  weeks,  caused  loss  of  sleep  and  appetite. 
Often  he  lay  weeping  for  hours  through  the  solemn 
vigils  of  the  night. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  John  Seybert  did  not 
seek  the  office.  He  had  "greatness  thrust  upon 
him". 


1 96  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


Following  is  the  simple  journal  entry,  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  day  when  he  was  so  unexpectedly  elevated 
to  the  episcopal  dignity: 

"Wednesday  being  the  third  day  of  the  session,  a 
Bishop  was  elected  at  about  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. This  important  office  unexpectedly  fell  to  my 
lot,  which  oppressed  me,  and  on  account  of  the  im- 
portance of  the  office,  caused  me  to  shed  tears.  My 
appetite  failed,  and  sleep  left  me  for  a  season.  Grad- 
ually I  felt  relieved  again,  and  felt  disposed  to  submit 
myself  to  God  and  to  my  brethren,  and  formed  the 
determination  to  serve  the  church  in  the  faithful  per- 
formance of  the  important  duties  of  the  office,  and  to 
labor  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  welfare  of  my  fel- 
low pilgrims  to  eternity." 

It  has  been  a  mooted  question,  whether  the  distinc- 
tion of  being  the  first  Bishop  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  belonged  to  John  Seybert,  or  to  Jacob 
Albright.  We  present  below  the  principal  views 
which  have  been  formally  expressed  by  various 
authorities  in  the  church. 

The  late  Rev.  Solomon  Neitz,  Bishop  Seybert's 
German  biographer,  has  the  following  to  say: 

"According  to  trustworthy  accounts,  the  honored 
founder  of  the  Evangelical  Association  was  likewise 
elected  Bishop  of  the  little  flock,  shortly  before  his 
death.  Neither  is  it  to  be  gainsaid  that  the  sainted 
Albright  exercised  all  the  powers  of  the  Episcopal 
office  in  the  Evangelical  Association,  from  the  time 
of  its  organization  until  his  untimely  death.  He 
changed  the  appointments  of  the  preachers  as  he 


The  Episcopacy. 


197 


pleased,  and  arranged  everything  in  the  Association 
according  to  his  own  best  judgment.  However,  in 
important  affairs  he  took  counsel  of  his  ministerial 
brethren.  In  the  proper  sense  he  was  really  Bishop 
of  the  Evangelical  Association,  from  its  organization 
to  the  end  of  his  natural  life,  because  he  used  all  the 
powers  and  exercised  all  the  authority  of  the  office 
durinof  that  time,  and  did  this  to  a  decree  of  absolute- 
ness,  which  none  of  our  regular  Bishops  have  had  the 
right  to  do.  But  Albright's  formal  election  took 
place  only  shortly  before  his  death,  and  that  too  be- 
fore the  introduction  of  a  Discipline,  and  therefore  he 
can  hardly  be  numbered  as  one  of  the  Bishops  within 
the  meaning  of  the  Discipline  of  our  Church,  which 
instrument  alone  defines  the  powers  of  the  office. 
On  the  contrary,  however,  Bro.  Seybert  was  the  first 
to  be  elected  under  the  laws  and  provisions  of  our 
ecclesiastical  government,  and  therefore  is  rightfully 
called  the  first  Bishop  of  the  Evangelical  Association." 

Rev.  W.  W.  Orwiof,  a  member  of  the  General  con- 
ference  of  1839,  and  author  of  Volume  I.  of  the 
"History  of  the  Evangelical  Association",  says: 

"  Bro.  Seybert  became  the  first  regular  Bishop  of 
the  Association,  according  to  the  rules  of  the  Dis- 
cipline. As  to  Mr.  Albright,  he  wras  elected  to  this 
office  before  the  Doctrines  and  the  Discipline  had 
been  adopted,  for  which  reason  he  can  hardly  be  con- 
sidered one  of  our  Bishops.  His  case  was  in  every 
respect  an  extraordinary  one;  for  even  before  his 
elevation  to  the  Superintendency  of  the  Church, 
which  happened  but  a  short  time  before  his  death,  he 


198  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


exercised,  from  the  very  organization  of  the  Associa- 
tion till  his  death,  all  episcopal  power,  transferring 
preachers  at  will,  and  arranging  everything  in  the 
Association  as  it  seemed  best  to  him,  yet  not  always 
without  consulting  his  brethren.  He  was,  therefore, 
in  the  full  sense  of  the  word,  the  Bishop  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, exerting  a  power  and  influence  upon  it,  such  as 
no  Bishop  has  done  after  him,  and  probably  never  will," 

Rev.  R.  Yeakel,  author  of  the  "Life  of  Albright  and 
his  co-laborers",  has  this  to  say: 

"The  first  conference,  which  met  in  1807,  elected 
Jacob  Albright  Bishop.  The  record  of  that  con- 
ference is  literally  as  follows:  '4th.  Jacob  Albright 
was  elected  Bishop  by  a  majority  of  votes,  and  George 
Miller  was  elected  Elder.'  The  'council'  of  1803 
already  declared  Albright  to  be  an  Elder,  and  he  was 
ordained  as  such  at  that  time.  The  conference  of 
1807  elected  him  Bishop.  It  is  clear,  from  the  fact 
that  in  doctrine  and  usage  the  conference  was  Meth- 
odistical,  that  they  had  a  Methodistical  conception  of 
the  word  'Bishop'.  Side  by  side  with  her  the  M.  E. 
Church  was  laboring  zealously,  with  the  godly  and 
highly  esteemed  Bishop  Asbury  at  its  head.  Yea,  on 
the  preacher's  License  which  this  conference  issued,  it 
named  itself  'The  Newly  Formed  Methodist  Con- 
ference'. Who  can  doubt  that  this  conference  elected 
Albright  Bishop  in  the  Methodist  sense?  It  was  not 
looked  upon  as  a  mere  title  of  honor  or  distinction. 
Jacoo  Albright  was  elected  Bishop,  and,  according^ 
to  the  action  of  the  conference  and  the  terms  of  the 
record,  is  the  first  Bishop  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 


The  Episcopacy, 


199 


ciation,  even  though  she  did  not  at  that  time  bear  the 
present  name." 

It  seems  plain  from  the  statements  of  facts  in  which 
all  three  authorities  agree  (and  they  are  the  only 
authorities  at  this  time,  who  have  expressed  them- 
selves on  the  subject),  that,  while  Jacob  Albright,  the 
sainted  founder  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  was 
the  first  Bishop  de  facto,  John  Seybert  was  the  first 
Bishop  de  jitre.  If  it  is  without  dispute  that  our  dis- 
ciplinary episcopacy  is  intended  to  be  essentially 
Methodistic  in  its  nature  and  functions,  then  Albright 
was  in  the  full  sense  of  the  word  the  first  Bishop  of 
our  Church.  —  But  if  there  are  any  fundamental  differ- 
ences between  the  episcopacy  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  and  that  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  then  un- 
doubtedly that  distinction  belongs  to  Bishop  Seybert. 
And  that  important  differences  exist  between  the 
office  as  Albright  and  the  Methodist  bishops  admin- 
istered and  the  latter  still  administer  it  on  the  one 
hand,  and  as  administered  bv  the  bishops  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  under  the  Discipline,  seems 
conceded  by  all  the  authorities  quoted.  It  seems 
evident  furthermore,  upon  the  testimony  of  trust- 
worthy historical  accounts,  that  Mr.  Albright's  admin- 
istration of  the  episcopal  office  was  practically  much 
nearer  akin  to  the  episcopate  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
than  to  our  own  regular  episcopacy  as  defined  and 
limited  by  the  Discipline.  We  repeat  then,  that 
Jacob  Albright  was  the  first  Bishop  of  our  Church 
according  to  the  facts,  and  John  Seybert  was  the  first 
Bishop  according  to  the  law. 


200  Life  and  Labors  of  fo/in  Seybert. 


April  ioth,  two  weeks  after  his  election,  the  new 
bishop  presided  over  the  sessions  of  his  mother  con- 
ference. In  this  conference  he  had  been  converted, 
and  by  it  received  into  the  itinerancy.  In  its  employ 
he  had  preached  for  a  period  of  nineteen  years. 
Now  he  was  its  presiding  officer  and  belonged  to  all 
the  conferences  in  the  whole  Church. 

After  this  conference  had  been  successfully  held, 
Bro.  Seybert  began  to  feel  more  reconciled  to  his  new 
position.  It  is,  however,  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that 
he  was  at  first  oppressed  by  the  responsibilities  of  his 
high  and  untried  office.  He  had  no  precedent  for  his 
guidance,  but  had  himself  to  make  precedents  for  all 
time  to  come,  and  upon  his  conception  and  practical 
application  of  an  untried  law  depended  in  all  proba- 
bility the  permanence  of  the  law,  and  the  interpreta- 
tions of  his  successors.  Besides,  he  had  to  travel 
over  an  enormous  stretch  of  territory,  from  Canada  to 
Virginia,  from  Staten  Island  (New  York  City)  to  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  this  in  an  age  when  steam  had 
not  been  generally  introduced  as  the  power  of  loco- 
motion.    It  was  an  herculean  undertaking. 

Bro.  Seybert  mentions  this  first  conference  session 
as  specially  peaceable,  and  gratefully  acknowledges 
the  love  and  sympathy  of  the  brethren.  But  when 
Sunday  came,  the  Bishop  shrank  from  the  task  of 
preaching  the  ordination  sermon,  and  pressed  another 
brother  into  service  to  perform  that  duty. 

On  the  first  day  of  this  conference  session,  the  first 
annual  meeting  of  the  missionary  society  of  the  East 
Pennsylvania  conference    was  held.      This  society 


The  Episcopacy. 


201 


was  organized  in  1838,  and  was  the  first  of  its  kind 
in  the  Evangelical  Association.  The  General  Con- 
ference which  elected  Seybert  Bishop,  in  1839, 
organized  the  Parent  Missionary  Society,  and  Bishop 
Seybert  was  chosen  as  its  first  president.  He  was 
in  fact  the  chief  mover  in  the  introduction  of  organ- 
ized missionary  enterprises  among  us.  He  exerted  a 
powerful  influence  in  this  matter  in  various  ways. 
First,  by  his  example  in  zealous  missionary  activity 
every  year  of  his  ministerial  life.  Second,  by  import- 
ing- and  introducing-  missionary  literature.  He 
imported  the  celebrated  "Basle  Missionary  Magazine  \ 
and  presented  the  Publishing  House  with  a  very  large 
number  of  these  magazines.  In  this  way  the  editor 
of  the  "  Christliche  Botschafter"  had  access  to  the 
best  information  to  be  obtained  on  the  subject  at  that 
time,  and  consequently  that  organ  of  the  Church 
presented  the  great  subject  in  an  intelligent  and 
earnest  manner.  The  Bishop  also  urged  the 
preachers  to  inform  themselves  diligently  on  the 
subject.  These  exertions  were  chiefly  influential 
in  leading  to  the  organization  of  the  Missionary 
Society.  This  movement,  in  which  Bishop  Seybert 
was  the  master-spirit,  resulted  already  in  the  first 
year  in  the  organization  of  local  auxiliary  societies 
in  many  places.  A  considerable  sum  of  money  was 
raised  by  this  means,  and  the  missionary  spirit  was 
awakened  in  many  of  the  young  men  of  the  Church. 

At  the  same  time,  the  first  regular  missions  were 
started.  They  were  four  in  number:  New  York  City 
mission,    Mohawk  mission,    Waterloo  mission  and 


202  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


Black  Creek  mission.  The  two  former  were  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  the  two  latter  in  Upper 
Canada.  The  East  Pennsylvania  conference,  at  its 
session  in  1839,  supplied  these  missions.  It  is  thus 
seen  in  what  a  striking  manner  Bishop  John  Seybert 
was  identified  with  the  early  missionary  plans  and 
enterprises  of  our  Church.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say 
that  he  was  the  father  of  our  missionary  societies,  as  well 
as  the  first  missionary  of  the  Church.  Soon  after  his 
election  to  the  episcopacy,  he  issued  the  following 
circular  letter: 

"An   Appeal  to   the   Ministry   of  the  Evangelical 
Association. 

" Dearly  beloved!  Inasmuch  as  the  cause  of  the 
Lord  rests  heavily  on  my  heart,  and  as  I  feel 
inwardly  stirred  and  constrained,  to  devote  myself 
to  His  work  by  day  and  night  without  ceasing, 
with  soul  and  body,  therefore  I  desire,  through  the 
Christliche  Botschafter,  to  encourage  our  Evangelical 
friends,  and  in  general  all  who  love  God,  in  this 
important  cause,  which  also  has  been  done  by  other 
brethren,  and  not  without  good  effect  upon  sincere 
souls. 

"  But,  as  hitherto  appeals  have  been  made  princi- 
pally to  the  lay-members,  I  would  at  this  time  speak 
a  word  to  their  leaders,  and  communicate  my 
thoughts  and  convictions  to  them  in  a  simple  and 
upright  manner,  especially  since  at  the  present  time 
there  seems  to  be  a  greater  lack  of  active  ministers  in 
our  Association,  than  ever  before. 

"The  question  first  arises:  Where  lies  the  fault? 


The  Episcopacy. 


203 


Certainly  not  on  the  side  of  God,  who  would  that  all 
men  should  be  saved  and  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth.  The  fault,  then,  must  be  with  us. 
Evidently  there  is  a  lack  of  love  to  God  and  to  our 
fellow-men  in  the  hearts  of  many,  as  also  a  lack  of 
the  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Great  Head  of  the 
Church,  our  adorable  Lord,  who  gave  His  life  for  us 
when  we  were  yet  enemies. 

"There  is  an  especial  want  among  us  of  the 
following  qualities,  which  the  Master  possessed: 

"First:  We  lack  the  spirit  of  humility,  which  He 
displayed  in  the  voluntary  acceptance  of  the  poverty 
and  obscurity  that  marked  the  circumstances  of  His 
birth  and  early  career. 

"Second:  That  voluntary  submission  to  the  shame 
of  the  cross;  wTe  are  not  willing  to  bear  the  derision 
of  every  fool  and  devil's  imp. 

"Third:  That  willingness  to  suffer  afflictions  and 
tribulations  without  number,  even  unto  death. 
Behold  the  love  of  Him,  who  was  constrained  by 
his  very  agonies  to  pray  for  His  merciless  tormentors. 

"  If  there  were  more  of  the  Spirit  and  qualities 
of  Jesus  among  us  in  general,  there  would  be  less 
of  the  cares  of  the  world  to  absorb  our  time,  en^aee 
our  attention  and  exhaust  our  energies;  we  would 
deny  ourselves  of  all  earthly  things,  and,  without  fear 
of  want,  without  making  provision  for  the  flesh,  in 
confidence  in  Him  who  upholds  the  sparrow  and 
hears  the  young  ravens  when  they  cry,  and  clothes 
the  lilies  of  the  field  with  inimitable  glory,  we  would 
surmount  all  difficulties,  in    order  to   execute  the 


204 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


command  of  Christ,  to  bring  to  the  world  the  glad 
message  of  her  crucified  Redeemer.  There  would 
not  be  so  many  unanswered  Macedonian  calls  from 
Upper  Canada  and  other  localities,  where  they  are 
in  need  of  true  shepherds  and  true  preachers  of  the 
Gospel.  The  thousands  of  poor  Germans  in  the 
States  of  Michigan,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  etc.,  who 
wander  amid  perils  in  the  moral  desert  in  great 
throngs,  like  sheep  without  a  shepherd,  would  in 
that  case  soon  be  fed  with  the  bread  of  life. 

"If  the  Spirit  of  Christ  were  dominant  in  us,  there 
would  not  be  so  many  who,  in  their  best  years, 
excuse  themselves  from  active  work,  and  locate,  for 
the  purpose  of  pursuing  worldly  objects.  And  many 
others  would  forthwith  extricate  themselves  from  their 
temporal  complications  to  enter  the  Gospel  ministry. 
Oh,  it  is  to  be  feared,  that  many  bury  the  pound 
which  has  been  entrusted  to  them,  and  will  eventually 
be  adjudged  slothful  and  wicked  servants. 

"As  for  myself,  I  am  deeply  grieved,  because  I 
hesitated  until  my  thirtieth  year,  before  I  ventured 
out  into  the  Gospel  field,  and  because  1  did  not  begin 
earlier  to  blow  the  Gospel  trumpet.  However,  with 
me  it  was  not  worldly  greed,  nor  domestic  affairs, 
that  kept  me  back,  but  natural  diffidence  and  a  keen 
sense  of  my  inability  caused  me  to  doubt  my  call  and 
shrink  from  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking.  But 
I  cautiously  avoided  temporal  entanglements,  which 
might  at  any  time  prevent  me  from  going,  and  waited 
for  a  more  positive  Divine  call  and  better  fitness  for 
the  office,  just  as  a  sea-captain,  with  sails  spread, 


The  Episcopacy, 


205; 


watches  for  a  favorable  wind.  Finally,  however,  my 
unrest  became  intolerable;  I  could  no  longer  contain 
myself  at  home,  and  therefore,  with  Christ  ventured 
out  upon  the  stormy  and  tempestuous  voyage  which, 
my  career  has  proved  to  be. 

tfBut  now,  many  have  located  before  they  reach 
their  thirtieth  year.  Just  when  by  reason  of  practice 
and  experience  they  are  properly  fitted  for  this 
important  office,  and  when,  by  reason  of  physical 
strength  and  intellectual  maturity,  they  could  be 
eminently  useful  to  the  Church  in  defending  and 
proclaiming  her  doctrines  with  ability  and  manly 
courage,  they  take  the  hand  from  the  plough  and 
lookback.  —  Is  not  this  a  marvellous  thing?  Were 
these  men  really  sent  of  the  Lord,  and  have  they 
turned  back  and  become  unfaithful?  Or  did  they 
run  without  being  commissioned  from  above?  Let 
each  examine  himself  —  and  the  innocent  shall  be 
free ! 

"What  then?  Who  will  go  into  the  battle-field 
where  the  fight  is  fiercest,  and  maintain  his  position 
under  the  banner  of  Jesus  unto  death?  Who  is 
willing  and  ready  to  die  in  the  field?  Reader,  what 
think  you?  Do  you  know  of  one  such?  /know  of 
one!  Up,  ye  laggards!  The  harvest  truly  is  great, 
but  the  laborers  are  few.  Pray  ye,  therefore,  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  He  may  send  laborers  into 
His  vineyard." 

Bishop  Seybert  was  a  most  diligent  pastor.  He 
improved  every  moment  he  could  spare  for  the  pur- 
pose of  pastoral  visitation.    Nor  did  it  take  him  long 


Life  and  Labors  of  jfohn  Seybert. 


to  visit  a  family  and  pray  with  them.  He  was  known 
to  make  three  or  four  such  calls  in  a  neighborhood 
before  breakfast,  and  a  number  of  instances  are  known 
where  he  visited  twelve  or  fifteen  families  and  then 
walked  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  to  an  appointment 
the  same  day.  In  connection  with  this  subject  we 
subjoin  an  incident,  taken  from  his  journal,  which 
illustrates  his  sagacity  and  also  his  success  in  this 
kind  of  work: 

When  he  was  Presiding  Elder  on  Salem  district, 
he  made  a  trip  to  the  State  of  New  York  on  a  certain 
•occasion  to  hold  a  quarterly  meeting  in  Alleghany 
Co.,  N.  Y.  There  was  quite  a  society  there,  the 
majority  of  the  members  hailing  from  Pennsylvania. 
The  remaining  German  population  of  the  vicinity 
were  Europeans,  who  were  strangers  to  experimental 
religion. 

Bro.  Seybert  arrived  a  few  days  before  the  begin- 
ning of  the  quarterly  meeting,  and,  disliking  to  be 
idle,  determined  to  improve  these  days  in  visiting  the 
members  and  their  German  neighbors,  in  the  interests 
•of  the  cause  of  Christ.  Being  a  stranger  in  the  vicin- 
ity, he  enquired  of  the  class-leader  concerning  the  con- 
dition of  Christianity  among  the  people,  and  found  the 
latter  had  little  hope  of  seeing  his  neighbors  con- 
verted; stating  that  they  were  extremely  self-righteous, 
and  to  make  the  matter  worse,  a  foreigner  lived 
among  them  well  versed  in  Scripture,  who  was  their 
leader,  and  to  whom  they  looked  for  guidance  and 
example.  "This  man's  influence,"  the  class-leader 
said,    "is   powerful  among  them,  for  they  believe 


The  Episcopacy. 


207 


his  words."  Seybert  inquired  the  man's  name,  and 
also  his  residence,  and  visited  him  without  delay.. 
He  found  him  engaged  in  cobbling.  Seybert  greeted 
him  cheerfully  upon  meeting  him,  and  entered  into 
conversation,  which  of  course  he  very  soon  turned 
into  the  direction  of  religion.  As  the  cobbler  be- 
haved very  affably  and  seemed  quite  approachable, 
Seybert  suggested:  44 You  have  here  a  very  com- 
modious room,  which  would  be  admirably  suitable 
for  religious  meetings."  To  this  he  assented  in  a 
friendly  manner,  and  consented  that  Seybert  should 
begin. 

Accordingly  Seybert  promptly  fixed  an  appoint- 
ment at  his  house,  and  at  the  appointed  time  many 
devout,  attentive  auditors  gathered,  upon  whom  the 
Word  of  the  Lord  had  an  emphatic  effect.  His  text 
was  Ezekiel  37:14,  "And  I  shall  put  my  Spirit  in  you, 
and  ye  shall  liver  After  the  sermon  the  man  of  the 
house  arose  and  said  to  all  present:  "My  house  is 
open  for  such  meetings.  You  may  make  appoint- 
ments to  preach  here  if  you  want  to,  and  even  if  I 
should  not  be  present  always." 

Meanwhile,  the  time  appointed  for  the  "big  meet- 
ing" had  come,  and  this  gentleman  attended  the  ser- 
vices. He  was  powerfully  moved,  fell  upon  his  knees 
there,  and  plead  fervently  with  the  Lord  for  the 
pardon  of  his  sins.  The  people  of  God  prayed  long 
with  him,  but  he  did  not  on  this  occasion  as  yet 
u  break  through  fully  "  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the 
children  of  God.  But  he  continued  day  and  night  in 
prayer  and  pleadings,  in  faith  in  the  sacrificial  death 


2o8  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


of  Jesus,  and  presently  obtained  the  pardon  of  his 
sins,  and  was  blessed  with  an  overwhelming  measure 
of  "Divine  power  from  heaven".  Afterwards  he 
wrote  Seybert  a  very  agreeable  letter,  recounting 
what  God  had  done  for  him,  and  averring  the  certain 
.assurance  which  God's  Spirit  gave  him  that  he  was  a 
child  of  God.  This  gave  Seybert  great  joy,  being 
permitted  to  see  that  his  well-meant  visit  had 
resulted  in  a  glorious  fruitage.  He  fondly  hoped 
a  sheaf  had  been  garnered  for  eternal  life.  This 
brother  was  subsequently  received  into  our  ministry 
and  labored  blessedly. 

The  conversion  of  this  prominent  and  influential 
man,  and  his  testimony  to  the  truth,  caused  a  great 
■sensation  among  his  German  neighbors,  so  that  in  a 
short  time  nearly  all  were  convinced  of  the  necessity 
of  conversion  and  true  Evangelical  repentance. 
Soon  there  were  penitents  and  new  converts  in 
almost  every  family  in  the  entire  community.  The 
aeed  mother  of  the  aforesaid  leading-  man  became 
deeply  penitent  and  was  soundly  converted.  His  wife 
was  converted;  his  brother  and  wife  were  also  saved. 
So  that  hurried  pastoral  visit  became  the  cause  of  a 
genuine  work  of  grace  in  which  a  whole  communir 
was  brought  to  Christ. 

Bro.  Seybert  related  this  under  the  constraint  ol 
love  for  his  brethren  in  the  Gospel,  knowing  from 
extended  experience  that  "  preachers  can  do  much 
good  for  eternity  by  pastoral  visitation".  However, 
it  was  his  conviction  that  on  such  calls  "they  must 
not  forbear  to  speak  to  the  people  of  the  Lord  and 


The  Episcopacy. 


209 


His  work,  praise  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  and  admonish 
the  people  to  be  converted  and  to  live  godly  lives. 
They  must  also  pray  with  them,  else  no  fruit  will 
follow.  By  these  means  persons  are  attracted,  con- 
fidence in  the  preacher  is  awakened  and  strengthened, 
so  that  they  will  be  inclined  to  attend  the  preaching 
services,  and  the  attentive  hearing  of  the  Word 
results  in  enlightenment.  And  what  impressions 
the  words  of  the  servant  of  God  produce  sometimes, 
when,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  love  for  souls,  he 
converses  in  the  privacy  of  the  family  circle  on  the 
great  truths  of  the  Gospel,  and  then  seals  the  con- 
versation by  fervent  prayer  with  outspread  hands! 
Often  where  this  is  done  in  the  right  manner,  there 
occurs  a  convulsive  sobbing  and  violent  weeping,  and 
the  newly  sown  truth  takes  root  in  the  mellow,  tender 
hearts,  which  will  bring  forth  fruit  unto  eternal  life. 
It  may  well  be  said  of  preachers  who  perform  this 
duty  aright:  "  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are 
the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings;  that 
publishes  peace;  that  saith  unto  Zion:  Thy  God 
reiometh." 

"But,"  the  Bishop  remarks,  "it  is  greatly  to  be 
feared  that  we  have  done  far  too  little  in  this  partic- 
ular. There  is  no  doubt  that  we  could  be  much  more 
useful  in  our  generation,  were  we  at  all  times  fully 
devoted  to  this  sacred  duty.  The  Lord  bless  us  with 
zeal  and  love  to  prosecute  His  work  as  it  should  be! 
This  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  your  co-laborer  in  the 
vineyard  of  the  Lord." 

The  Bishop  assiduously  admonished  his  brethren 
14 


2IO 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybe7i. 


at  every  opportunity,  to  be  faithful  in  this  duty.  In 
his  ordination  sermons  he  strongly  urged  the  pastoral 
obligation  upon  the  young  ministers.  He  once 
remarked:  "The  old  preachers  are  hard  to  convert 
from  laziness" . 

Leter-writing  was  but  one  of  a  hundred  different 
methods  he  employed  to  enforce  his  views  on  this 
subject  in  the  church.  The  following  letter  he  wrote 
to  a  young  minister. 

"Beloved  Brother  in  Christ!  —  When  I  was  with 
you  last,  I  greatly  rejoiced  at  what  I  saw  and  heard; 
and  for  what  my  heart  felt  I  rejoice  even  yet. 

"  See  well  to  it,  both  in  your  public  preaching  and 
in  private  conversation  among  the  people,  that  the 
newly  converted,  and  all  professors  of  religion,  are 
encouraged  to  growth  in  grace,  to  be  separate  from 
the  world  and  its  enjoyments,  to  deny  themselves, 
and  that  they  learn  to  avoid  everything  sinful. 
Strive  to  induce  them  by  precept  and  example,  to 
seek  holiness  and  to  obtain  complete  victory  over 
indwelling  sin,  and  that  they  be  zealous  in  the  exer- 
cise of  godliness. 

"  See  well  to  it  also,  that  you  keep  everything  in 
good  order  in  your  society,  so  that  your  successor  on 
the  charge  may  find  delight  in  the  excellent  condition 
of  things  in  the  church,  which  you  commit  to  him, 
and  he  will  thus  be  enabled  to  beo;in  and  continue  his 
labor  with  pleasure.  It  is  always  hard,  if  a  preacher, 
immediately  upon  the  beginning  of  a  pastorate  on  a 
new  charge,  is  obliged  to  institute  investigations,  hold 
rhurch-trials,  adjust  difficulties  and  differences,  and 


The  Episcopacy. 


211 


reconcile  quarreling  parties,  that  should  have  been 
attended  to  by  his  predecessor. 

"Take  heed,  however,  unto  yourself,  that  you  lose 
none  of  your  diligence  in  house-visiting.  Do  not  be- 
come a  lazy  preacher,  who  is  satisfied  if  he  has  only 
preached  and  afterwards  had  a  good  dinner.  Ex- 
perience has  taught  me  that  we  can  at  times  do  more 
good  among  converted  and  unconverted  by  visiting, 
than  by  all  our  preaching.  A  preacher  with  but  two 
talents,  who  is  an  industrious  pastor,  accomplishes 
more  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  than  he  who  has 
five  talents  and  is  indolent,  slothful  and  frivolous  in 
pastoral  work  —  provided  always  that  the  former  does 
not  visit  for  the  sake  of  gratifying  a  gluttonous  pro- 
pensity, rather  than  with  a  desire  to  pray  and  labor 
for  the  salvation  of  souls.  I  tell  you,  a  very  feeble 
instrument  faithful  and  devoted,  will  accomplish  three- 
fold more  than  a  man  wTho  on  the  pulpit  makes  a 
great  noise,  but  otherwise  is  too  lazy  to  feed  his  flock. 

"Another  thing,  dear  Brother  in  Christ!  See  to  it 
also,  that  you  do  not  become  a  careless,  indifferent 
servant  in  the  service  of  the  Gospel,  who  neglects  his 
appointments.  Oh  what  a  vicious  habit  that  is!  I 
have  never  known  one  yet,  who  ever  overcame  this 
sin,  after  having  become  addicted  to  it.  Still  I  be- 
lieve it  to  be  possible,  though  difficult  to  be  delivered 
from  this  evil.  Yes,  it  is  possible,  but  it  will  require 
a  deep  and  thorough  co?iversion.  What  think  you? 
I  tell  you  the  truth,  mark  it  well.  I  also  have  this 
confidence  in  you,  that  you  will  take  pains  to  be  an 
industrious,  sincere  and  unblamable  workman  in  the 


2 1 2  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


vineyard;  a  workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed, 
rightly  dividing  the  Word  of  truth.  Therefore  have  I 
written  thus  to  you. 

"I  heartily  greet  you  and  all  who  may  inquire  after 
me,  also  especially  the  beloved  and  affectionate  Bro. 
J.  D.,  who  is  now  afflicted,  but  who,  by  his  powerful 
preaching,  often  richly  encouraged  me  a  poor,  diffident 
and  weak  brother  that  I  was,  at  the  beginning  of  my 
Christian  experience. 

Remember  me  in  your  prayers  before  God. 

John  Seybert." 

Is  not  this  high  ideal  of  an  efficient  ministry,  as 
outlined  by  the  first  Bishop  of  our  Church,  worth 
pondering  by  the  present  generation?  Is  not  his  ex- 
ample worth  imitating? 

Soon  after  the  Spring  conferences  the  Bishop  vis- 
ited the  great  metropolis,  on  his  first  episcopal  tour 
of  the  East  Pennsylvania  conference,  to  inspect  the 
newly  established  mission  there. 

May  6th,  1839,  Bishop  Seybert  reached  the  pop- 
ulous and  wicked  city  of  New  York,  by  means  of 
railroads  and  steamboats  from  Philadelphia.  Our 
Church  had  established  a  mission  there  that  Spring, 
in  the  interests  of  the  neglected  German  population. 
He  found  the  missionary  well  and  in  good  spirits. 
He  had  rented  a  capacious  hall  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  city,  for  one  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  well 
located  amidst  a  large  German  population.  "  These 
Germans,"  he  remarked,  "are  partly  Roman  Catholic, 
partly  Lutheran  and  Reformed,  and  partly  unbelievers. 
Indeed  a  large  number  were  infidels.  Rationalism 


The  Episcopacy. 


213 


and  skepticism  were  very  prevalent,  and  the  vo- 
taries of  these  isms  were  immeasurably  sunken  and 
depraved.  Rationalism  was  entrenched  there.  These 
God-haters  and  Christ-despisers  deride  the  faith  of 
patriarch  and  prophet,  and  pretend  to  regard  the 
prophets,  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles  as  deceivers 
and  seducers.  For  the  most  part  these  unbelievers 
are  accordingly  profane,  slaves  to  drunkenness  and  in 
other  respects  vicious  and  depraved.  O  how  the 
devil  has  despoiled  the  vineyard  by  letting  loose  the 
wild  boars  of  false  doctrine!  What  fruit  these  damn- 
able inventions  of  so-called  culture  bring  forth!"  It 
is  easily  seen  that  the  presence  and  influence  of  holy 
and  zealous  missionaries  of  the  Cross  was  necessary 
in  such  a  place.  The  establishment  of  our  mission 
there  was  therefore  indeed  timely  and  important. 
In  spite  of  the  depraved  and  hardened  condition  of 
these  people,  quite  a  number  had  already  been 
awakened  and  enlightened  through  the  efforts  of  the 
missionary.  Among  them  some  extremely  "hard 
cases",  who,  the  Bishop  thinks,  might  well  join  in 
Martin  Luther's  doggerel: 

"  Ich  bin  ein  wahres  Siindenaas, 
Ein  reenter  Sundenkniippel, 
Der  seine  Siinden  in  sick  frass, 
G-leick  wie  das  Ross  die  Zippel. 
0  Jesu  !  pack  mick  Hund  bei'm  Okr, 
Wirf  mir  die  Gnadenbrocken  vor, 
Und  sckmeiss  mick  Siindenliimmel 
In  deinen  Gnadenkimmel ! "  * 


*  This  I  believe  to  be  untranslatable,  and  therefore  simply  give  it  in 
the  original  romanized.— S.  P.  S. 


2 1 4  Life  and  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


From  New  York  Bishop  Seybert  returned  to  Phil- 
adelphia, where,  he  says,  one  hundred  and  fifty-two 
brethren  and  sisters  participated  in  the  celebration  of 
the  Holy  Communion. 

Quite  recently  there  had  been  another  extensive 
revival  there,  and  it  gave  him  much  joy  to  observe 
the  good  work  the  Lord  has  already  enabled  us  to  do. 
The  influence  pf  the  meetings  extended  from  the 
centre  of  the  city,  in  all  directions,  out  to  the  flourish- 
ing suburb  of  Kensington. 

In  New  York  and  Philadelphia  he  had  purchased 
some  thirty  volumes  of  books,  which,  besides  some 
other  baggage,  he  was  obliged  to  carry,  per  pedes, 
a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  to  Lexington,  where  his 
horse  was.  He  reached  Lexington  in  an  exhausted 
condition;  but  through  the  night  he  enjoyed  a  most 
refreshing  slumber. 

From  here  he  went  to  Bucks  county,  where  three 
years  before  he  had  spent  such  a  pleasant  Sunday 
in  company  with  a  certain  Mennonite  preacher. 
Since  that  time  the  work  of  conversion  had  spread 
there,  which  resulted  in  persecutions. 

One  day  in  May  he  went  to  a  certain  school-house 
in  the  afternoon  to  preach.  But  the  building  was 
locked,  and  the  authorities  refused  to  surrender  the 
keys.  In  a  grove  near  by,  however,  stood  a  large 
hickory  tree,  under  which  he  took  his  stand,  gathered 
his  audience  around  it,  and  preached  to  them  from 
the  words:  "And  the  door  was  shut!'  It  was  an 
affecting  season.  Many  wept  greatly.  Three  years 
before  he  had  been  treated  very  hospitably  here,  and 


The  Episcopacy. 


215 


was  even  permitted  to  preach  in  the  Mennonite 
church;  now  even  the  school-house  was  locked 
against  him.  But  the  cause  of  this  change  lay  in  the 
fact  that  a  revival  of  religion  had  since  taken  place, 
which  reached  some  of  the  members  of  that  church. 
One  of  their  most  prominent  men  had  been  converted, 
whose  father,  and  grandfather  on  both  sides,  had 
been  Mennonite  preachers.  This  circumstance 
roused  the  ire  of  those  who  have  the  form  of 
godliness,  but  deny  the  power  thereof.  They  began 
to  bestir  themselves,  and  there  was  some  lively 
running,  riding  and  fighting,  from  house  to  house, 
to  counteract  Seybert's  influence.  It  was  in  vain, 
however.  The  man  whose  conversion  had  occa- 
sioned all  this  commotion,  was  a  diligent  Bible 
student,  remained  firm,  and  became  an  efficient 
class-leader. 

At  Emmaus,  Lehigh  Co.,  Pa.,  which  he  called  a 
modern  Sodom,  he  was  "egged"  while  preaching. 

On  the  last  Sunday  in  May  they  had  a  great  day 
in  Allentown.  The  synod  was  assembled,  and  "the 
devil  sent  one  of  his  servants  up  in  a  balloon."  There 
was  much  drinking,  dancing  and  carousing.  How- 
ever, a  spacious  house  of  worship  had  already  been 
erected  by  the  Evangelical  Association  and  a  revival 
was  in  progress,  and  Seybert  preached  to  a  large 
and  attentive  congregation. 

Many  people  were  convinced  of  the  necessity 
of  conversion,  through  the  earnest  and  persistent 
preaching  of  repentance  by  our  preachers.  But  they 
were  not  willing  to  "  bear  the  reproach  of  Christ, 


2 1 6  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


and  though  they  became  aware  of  the  decay  of  their 
churches,  and  though  practical  Christianity  was 
unknown  among  them,  they  were  not  willing  to  come 
out  from  among  the  world  for  Jesus'  sake.  But  when 
a  rationalistic  freethinker  invaded  the  town,  they  left 
their  churches  to  follow  after  him.  This  is  the 
natural  result,  when  persons  stifle  their  best  convic- 
tions, and  refuse  to  obey  the  truth,  they  are  easily  led 
into  the  folly  of  atheism." 

Rejectors  of  vital  godliness  become  practical  infi- 
dels. Those  who  are  called  and  will  not  hear,  who 
have  the  light,  but  will  not  see,  are  given  over  to  the 
strong  delusions,  that  they  should  believe  a  lie,  that 
they  all  might  be  damned,  who  obey  not  the  truth. 
Ultimately  God  abandons  those  who  hold  the  truth 
in  unrighteousness,  and  woe  to  that  one  who  is 
forsaken  of  God.  The  wrath  of  unrequited  love  is 
awful  wrath. 

In  June,  1839,  the  Bishop  stayed  all  night  with 
some  of  his  spiritual  children.  Nineteen  years  ago 
these  people  were  converted  and  declare  that,  as  the 
instrument  of  their  conversion,  he  was  their  spiritual 
father.  He  was  indeed  glad  to  meet  them  again, 
and  greatly  rejoiced  that  during  these  nineteen  years 
they  had  kept  themselves  from  the  ''idol  of  fashion". 
Upon  this  he  exclaims: 

"Oh,  how  indescribably  great  is  the  goodness  of 
my  God,  who  has  chosen  me,  unworthy  as  I  am,  as 
an  instrument  in  his  service  to  lead  sinners  to  repent- 
ance. Forever  and  ever  will  I  adore  Him  for  this 
unspeakable  mercy." 


The  Episcopacy. 


217 


July  4th  he  preached  in  Womelsdorf,  on  Col. 
1:12-14.  The  ungodly,  however,  celebrated  the  day 
"quite  in  their  fashion,  just  as  their  father,  the  devil, 
would  have  them  keep  Independence  Day.  They 
fired  guns,  they  swore,  they  drank  to  excess,  and 
amid  hilarity  offered  unto  devils  the  sacrifice  of 
pagans." 

During  the  Summer  of  1839,  Bishop  Seybert  visited 
the  work  in  Upper  Canada.  Leaving  his  horse  in 
Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  he  made  the  trip  to  Victoria's 
dominions  on  foot  and  per  canal-boat;  though  the 
Bishop  rode  one  day  with  a  man  named  Rothschild, 
whom  he  describes  as  a  truly  converted,  pious,  useful 
man.  The  visit  necessitated  a  journey  of  three 
hundred  miles,  and  he  completed  it  with  a  total 
expense  of  two  dollars  and  eighty-three  and  a  half 
cents  ($2.83*^).    This  bill  is  itemized  as  follows: 

Board  going,  15  cts. 

"     returning,         12  " 
Fare  per  canal,       $2.56^-  " 

Total,  £2.83£ 
(Rothschild  charged  nothing.) 

This  small  board-bill  was  not  caused  by  "sponging", 
but  Seybert  actually  lived  three  days  on  a  diet  of 
biscuits  and  water  that  cost  fifteen  cents,  and  on  the 
return  trip  twelve  cents.  Of  course  it  is  to  be  per- 
sumed,  he  did  not  pay  for  his  victuals  at  the  rates 
which  are  charged  at  a  modern  railroad  restaurant. 
If  he  did,  his  feat  would  be  one  of  starvation  rather 
than  economy.  This  is  the  way  the  first  Bishop  of 
the  Evangelical  Association  traveled  in  1839. 


2l8 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


His  traveling  company  on  the  canal-boats  was 
anything  but  agreeable.  Joking,  fiddling,  laughing, 
gambling,  profanity  and  drinking,  were  the  order  of 
the  day.  Oh,  how  heavily  the  time  dragged  for 
this  child  of  God  in  such  surroundings.  But  when 
he  left  the  canal-route  again  and  traveled  alone  on 
foot,  he  soon  forgot  his  misery,  and  became  absorbed 
in  contemplating  the  goodness  and  love  of  God, 
while  his  eye  rested  on  verdant  fields,  and  zephyrs 
caressingly  cooled  his  cheeks  and  wafted  to  him  the 
perfume  of  flowers,  so  that  he  was  made  to  praise 
God  in  joyful  songs. 

At  Galen,  New  York,  he  found  a  glorious  revival 
in  progress,  chiefly  among  the  Europeans.  Recently 
four  Catholics  had  been  converted  there.  Seybert 
preached  for  these  people  from  the  words:  "When 
the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion,  then 
were  we  like  them  that  dream;  then  was  our  mouth 
filled  with  laughter  and  our  tongue  with  singing. 
Then  said  they  among  the  heathen,  The  Lord  hath 
done  great  things  for  them.  The  Lord  hath  done 
great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are  glad!"  During 
the  sermon  there  was  a  great  commotion.  Weeping, 
praising,  shouting  were  the  order.  There  was  a  live 
society  of  glorious  Christians  there!  "Hallelujah!" 

August  19th  in  company  with  six  brethren  from 
the  State  of  New  York,  he  crossed  the  line,  and 
notes  the  fact  that  exactly  eight  minutes  before 
noon  his  "American  feet  stood  for  the  first  time  on 
British  soil,"  and  he  was  in  the  dominions  of  the 
Queen  of  England.     Standing  there,  he  fervently 


The  Episcopacy, 


119 


and  devoutly  prayed  God  to  accompany  him  in  his 
journeys  in  Canada,  and  to  make  him  an  instrument 
for  the  awakening  and  conversion  of  sinners  also 
here.  That  evening  he  preached  his  first  sermon  in 
Canada,  at  the  house  of  Moses  Bayers,  from  Rev. 
3:17,  18. 


220  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


CHAPTER  X. 

VARIED  EXPERIENCES. 

The  year  1840  was  spent  in  traveling  over  the 
extensive  and  sparsely  settled  territory  occupied  by 
the  Evangelical  Association.  The  new  Bishop  held 
the  annual  conferences,  of  which  there  were  for  the 
first  time  three,  and  visited  quite  generally  the  various 
charges. 

At  Warren,  Pa.,  where  he  had  many  spiritual 
children,  whom  God  rave  him  as  the  result  of  his 
labors  among  them  six  years  before  when,  as  mission- 
ary he  first  brought  them  the  bread  of  life,  his  arrival 
among  them  was  the  occasion  of  mutual  rejoicing. 

From  here  he  went  to  Columbiana  district,  Ohio 
conference,  and  traversed  the  district,  preaching  as 
he  went. 

Then  he  went  to  Wayne  Co.,  and  preached  at 
Christopher  Felger's,  six  miles  west  of  Wooster. 
Then  he  preached  in  an  unfinished  church  near 
Lattasburg  or  Jefferson.  They  had  a  "melting  time". 
Many  wept,  and  others  praised  the  Lord. 

Friday,  October  25th,  he  reached  Ohio  district, 
the  last  on  his  round.  Though  he  did  not  reach 
every  appointment  on  the  various  districts  visited, 
yet  he  made  quite  a  thorough  canvass  of  the  work. 

On  Sandusky  district  he  attended  a  three  day's 
meeting,  which  was  specially  blessed,  for  sinners  were 


Varied  Experiences, 


221 


converted  and  God's  people  strengthened  in  the  faith. 
On  Ohio  district  he  found  the  members  engaged  with 
alacrity  in  the  service  of  the  Lord.  The  newly 
opened  Miami  circuit,  where  the  brethren  had  such 
great  difficulties  and  were  nearly  discouraged,  was 
now  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  extended  into  the 
State  of  Indiana. 

The  Ohio  conference,  at  its  last  (and  first)  session, 
organized  a  Conference  Missionary  Society,  and  at 
once  sent  a  missionary  to  the  State  of  Illinois. 
Tabor  district  suffered  considerably  during  the  year 
on  account  of  sickness  and  through  the  death  of 
several  preachers,  creating  great  gaps  in  the  working 
force,  making  it  necessary  to  abandon  several  new 
and  promising  appointments,  and  resulting  in  a  con- 
traction of  the  field  of  operation.  However,  these 
gaps  were  at  least  partially  supplied  by  the  entrance 
into  the  conference  of  a  number  of  young  men.  Bro. 
Seybert  prayed  the  Lord  would  give  these  young 
brethren  grace,  wisdom  and  unction,  so  that  they 
may  be  steadfast  messengers  of  His  Word,  and  not 
soon  quit  the  field  in  a  demoralized  condition,  or 
perhaps  with  Demas,  love  this  present  world  and 
locate  from  worldly  considerations,  as  had  so  often 
been  the  case  heretofore. 

This  first  session  of  the  Ohio  conference  was  held 
at  Emanuel  church,  in  Walnut  Township,  Pickaway 
county,  six  miles  north-east  of  Circleville,  on  what  is 
now  Cedar  Hill  circuit,  beginning  May  13th,  1840. 

November  29th  he  crossed  for  the  first  time  the 
State  line  into  Indiana,  and  on  the  30th  preached  in  a 


222  Life  and  Labors  of  fohn  Seybert, 


school-house  near  Germantown.  This  was  an  un- 
satisfactory service.  The  crying  of  children,  the 
howling  and  barking  of  dogs,  together  with  the  loud 
talking  of  scoffers  and  "sons  of  Belial",  were  very  em- 
barrassing to  the  Bishop  in  attempting  to  preach,  nor 
could  anyone  listen  with  devotion. 

Next  morning  he  preached  at  the  same  school- 
house  again,  with  better  results.  <cThe  devil's  imps 
and  the  dogs"  were  absent.  He  had  an  attentive  and 
devout  congregation,  and  was  enabled  to  preach  with 
liberty. 

Bishop  Seybert  always  repudiated  the  use  of 
tobacco  in  any  form,  and  frequently  in  his  sermons 
at  camp-meetings  and  ordination  sermons  expressed 
his  disapproval  of  its  use  with  characteristic  severity. 
Especially  at  camp-meetings,  where  professors  often 
were  seen  standing  in  the  woods  smoking  cigars  and 
pipes,  when  they  ought  to  have  been  in  the  altar  or 
elsewhere  engaged  in  prayer,  the  Bishop  spoke  with 
vehemence  and  force  on  this  subject.  And  when  re- 
ceiving preachers,  he  frequently  asked,  additional  to 
the  Disciplinary  questions,  the  question:  "Are  you 
also  free  from  the  use  of  tobacco?"  This  he  did,  long 
before  any  conference  adopted  the  rule  and  made  it 
obligatory  upon  the  presiding  Bishop  to  ask  this 
question.^ 

From  his  journal  we  further  learn  that  at  the  West 
Pennsylvania  conference  there  was  a  notable  lack  of 
preachers  in  1840,  because  some  went  to  the  East  Pa. 
conference,  some  to  the  Ohio,  and  some  located.  A 
pastoral  letter  was  therefore  issued  at  the  conference 


Varied  Experiences, 


223 


session,  summoning  the  membership  of  that  conference 
to  more  earnest  prayer  and  sacrifice,  so  that  the  want 
might  be  supplied. 

During  the  year  1840,  the  society  at  Philadelphia 
passed  through  a  severe  ordeal.  The  pastor,  the 
Rev.  J.  Vogelbach,  saw  fit  to  forsake  the  little  flock 
and  join  another  denomination.  This  was  an  occasion 
of  much  distress  to  the  good  Bishop.  Nothing  gave 
him  so  much  anxiety,  as  when  irregularities  and  de- 
fections occurred  in  the  ministerial  ranks,  through 
which  the  cause  of  God  or  the  church  should  suffer 
harm.  He  was  obliged,  accordingly,  as  general 
superintendent,  to  hasten  to  Philadelphia  in  the  in- 
terests of  the  work.  Leaving  his  horse  in  the  country, 
the  Bishop  walked  into  the  city,  where  he  arrived 
very  weary,  the  roads  being  dusty  and  the  heat  in- 
tense. In  the  evening  he  preached  to  the  distracted 
society  from  Matt.  8:22-27,  on  the  presence  of  Jesus 
with  his  disciples  in  the  storm.  He  mentions  it  as 
something  remarkable,  that  his  great  weariness  all 
left  him  by  the  time  the  sermon  was  over.  He  had 
enjoyed  great  liberty  in  preaching,  and  undoubtedly 
proved  a  son  of  consolation  to  the  people.  He  aimed 
to  effect  peace,  but  Vogelbach  withdrew,  and  with 
him  his  parents  and  a  few  others,  giving  as  his  rea- 
sons for  this  step  the  insufficiency  of  his  salary,  and 
the  dissatisfaction  that  prevailed  in  the  society  be- 
cause he  protested  against  fanaticism  in  public  wor- 
ship. About  this  time  the  following  incident  oc- 
curred: 

In  one  of  the  South-eastern  counties  of  Pennsyl- 


224  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


vania  lived  a  family  of  seventeen  children,  only  two 
of  whom  could  even  read,  while  the  rest  were  as 
illiterate  as  if  they  had  been  raised  in  the  interior  of 
the  dark  continent.  One  of  the  sons-in-law  was  oc- 
casionally seen  at  our  services,  at  which  his  wife  be- 
came enraged,  and  did  everything  in  her  power  to 
prevent  his  attendance.  Several  times  this  untamed 
fury  tore  the  clothes  off  his  back  after  he  was  dressed 
and  about  to  go.  Sometimes  she  hid  his  clothes;  at 
other  times  she  set  about  demolishing  their  house- 
hold furniture  to  keep  him  at  home.  At  length  it  oc- 
curred that  this  furious  woman  herself  came  to  a  ser- 
vice at  a  camp-meeting.  At  first  she  stared  like  a 
wild  beast  that  had  suddenly  and  for  the  first  time 
come  among  the  habitations  of  civilized  men,  ready 
at  any  moment  to  run  like  a  hunted  deer.  A  hearty 
song  was  being  sung,  however,  which  seemed  to  have 
a  subduing  influence  upon  her.  Nature's  greatest 
poetic  interpreter  has  said: 

"  Music  hath  charms  to  soothe  the  savage  breast," 
and  so  it  proved  in  this  case,  for  finally  she  took  a 
seat,  but  far  on  the  outskirts  of  the  auditorium, 
though  near  enough  to  be  severely  wounded  by  the 
arrows  of  truth  from  the  Gospel  bow.  The  bow 
seems  to  have  been  drawn  taut  that  day,  and  it  soon 
became  evident  that  the  woman  was  touched.  As 
she  listened  with  close  attention  to  the  preacher,  her 
eyes  became  moist,  tears  coursed  down  her  hardened 
face,  and  it  was  not  long  until,  with  a  broken  heart 
and  a  contrite  spirit,  she  fell  upon  her  knees,  pleading 
for  salvation.    She  was  saved.    Ever  afterwards  she 


Varied  Experiences. 


225 


proved  herself  a  decent,  meek,  civilized  and  pious 
woman,  a  light  to  the  world  and  a  salt  to  the  earth. 

Throughout  his  life-time,  Bishop  Seybert  had 
occasion  to  complain  of  the  bad  behavior  of  the 
people  of  his  native  county  at  camp-meetings.. 
Amono-  other  incidents  the  following"  occurred  in 
1840,  at  a  camp-meeting  in  that  count}': 

The  meeting"  was  richlv  blessed  in  the  conver- 
sion  of  sinners.  But  outside  the  tent  circle,  there 
was  a  perpetual,  beastly  howling  among  the  ungodly 
clans.  There  was  a  rabble  present,  who  must  have 
been  possessed  by  a  legion  of  devils.  These  creatures 
did  not  conduct  themselves  like  human  beings,  and 
in  reality  "they  were  only  human  brutes  (  Tiiicrmen- 
schen),  who  either  never  had  any  reason,  or  if 
they  ever  had  any,  bequeathed  it  to  their  cattle,, 
before  they  came  to  the  meeting.  They  ran  about 
in  the  woods  with  apparently  brainless  pates.  They 
knocked  one  another  about  like  oxen  in  a  pen, 
screamed,  swore  and  cursed  each  the  other  into  the 
lowest  hell".  Such  were  the  terms  in  which  the 
indignant  and  outraged  Bishop  characterized  the 
un chivalrous  conduct  of  the  people  near  his  native 
heath  in  that  day. 

On  Mohawk  mission,  New  York,  in  the  town  of 
Rome,  a  sister  died  in  great  peace,  having  been 
brought  to  Jesus  by  the  efforts  of  our  missionary. 
On  her  funeral  occasion  Bro.  Seybert  exclaimed: 
"The  new  Mohawk  mission  now  has  its  first  sheaf  in 
God's  heavenly  garner.    Hallelujah!  " 

In  the  vicinity  of  New  Hamburg,  in  Upper  Canada, 
15 


226  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


lived  a  great  drunkard,  whose  wife  was  obliged  to 
leave  him  on  account  of  his  brutality.  Upon  this  he 
announced  his  intention  of  drinking  himself  to  death; 
but  this  process  of  suicide  proved  too  slow,  so  in 
desperation  the  wretch  lanced  an  artery  in  order  to 
bleed  to  death,  and  so  released  (?)  the  crazed  spirit. 
Accidently  some  neighbors  came  upon  the  scene, 
who  stopped  the  bleeding  artery  and  prevented  his 
death.  This  seemed  to  bring  him  to  his  senses, 
causing  him  to  reflect  soberly.  He  quit  his  excesses, 
was  converted  to  God,  and  truly  led  a  sober,  moral, 
godly  life,  free  from  drink.  His  wife  returned  to  his 
home,  and  they  conducted  a  happy  Christian  family 
life.  "Is  not  this,"  asks  Seybert,  "a  brand  plucked 
from  the  burning?" 

Friday,  February  5th,  1841,  he  came  to  the  city  of 
Baltimore,  Md.,  where  he  found  the  brethren  engaged 
in  holding  a  love-feast,  in  the  midst  of  protracted 
meetings  which  had  already  continued  ten  days. 

The  Bishop  remained  until  the  nth,  during  which 
time  they  had  glorious  meetings,  for  many  souls  were 
converted.  Some  sixty  persons,  of  all  classes,  were 
converted  during  this  revival,  among  them  were 
several  Catholics,  of  whom  one  lady,  after  she  found 
pardon,  immediately  tore  off  her  needless  fineries  of 
dress  and  trampled  them  under  her  feet.  The  society 
now  numbered  one  hundred  and  fifty  members,  divided 
into  seven  classes.  The  meeting-house  recently 
purchased,  had  already  become  too  small  to  contain 
the  multitudes  who  attended  the  services,  and  the 
erection  of  a  new  church  edifice  at  a  more  suitable 


Varied  Experie7ices. 


227 


location,  near  the  center  of  the  city,  was  already 
under  contemplation.  During  his  stay  he  was  spe- 
cially delighted  that  the  friends  there  have  such  lively 
public  services,  and  that  there  are  "no  long,  frowning 
faces  visible  when  any  are  so  filled  with  the  joy  of 
the  Lord,  that  they  break  out  into  shouting".  He 
also  observed  with  pleasure,  that  the  new  converts 
divest  themselves  of  their  fashionable  flippery". 
"Oh,"  he  exclaims  "ye  friends  of  Zion,  deny  your- 
selves of  the  world's  vain  display,  and  put  on  the 
beauty  of  holiness! " 

This  year  the  East  Pennsylvania  conference  met 
March  17th,  in  Seneca  Co.,  N.  Y.,  the  West  Pennsyl- 
vania, April  7th,  in  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  and  the  Ohio, 
May  1 2th,  in  Lafayette,  Wayne  Co.  (now  Ashland 
Co.),  Ohio.  Seybert  presided  at  each.  He  enjoyed 
at  this  time  the  best  physical  health,  and  was  enabled 
to  do  his  work  with  alacrity. 

His  journey  from  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  where  the  Pub- 
lishing House  was  situated,  to  Ohio,  was  on  this  occa- 
sion a  very  severe  one,  on  account  of  the  immense 
number  of  books  which  he  took  with  him.  Before 
leaving  for  the  Ohio  conference,  the  Bishop  ordered 
one  of  the  largest  consignments  of  books  ever  issued 
from  the  Publishing  House  at  one  time.  And  this  in 
1 841,  in  a  Church  that  has  been  accused  time  and 
again  of  being  indifferent,  if  not  opposed,  to  matters 
of  culture  and  education.  Seybert's  order  called  for 
twenty-three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  volumes,  which  he  intended  to  take  with  him  on 
his  trip  to  the  Ohio  conference.    Their  weight  was 


228  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


twenty-five  hundred  pounds,  and  their  cost,  including" 
a  small  quantity  for  Illinois,  amounted  to  $4,306.25. 
Of  course,  many  of  these  were  small  Sabbath-school 
books.  In  closing-  his  order,  he  remarked:  "You  will 
probably  think  I  have  entirely  overshot  the  mark,  in 
ordering  so  many  books;  but  if  you  were  as  well 
acquainted  with  the  scarcity  of  books  in  the  West  as 
I  am,  you  would  judge  differently."  Rev.  Charles 
Hammer,  at  that  time  General  Book  Agent,  said: 
"  Should  such  a  large  order  be  sent  us  again,  we 
ought  to  have  it  a  year  before  the  books  are  wanted, 
in  order  to  get  them  ready."  The  scarcity  of  books 
in  the  Western  States  was  at  that  time  so  great,  that 
some  Sabbath-schools  used  the  Christliche  Botschafter 
and  the  Hymn-book  as  text  books. 

So  great  was  Bishop  Seybert's  anxiety  to  have  the 
families,  schools  and  churches  supplied  with  proper 
literature,  that  he  undertook  to  forward  these  books 
and  distribute  them  himself,  mostly  in  Ohio,  and  also 
in  Indiana  and  Illinois.  He  shipped  them  to  the  WTest 
per  canal,  and  then  distributed  and  sold  them  to  the 
ministers  and  laity,  taking  all  the  financial  risks  him- 
self. Though  he  lost  no  money  in  the  operation, 
neither  did  he  gain  any.  It  was  done  solely  in  the 
interests  of  the  Church.  He  was  a  far-seeing  man, 
who  fully  appreciated  the  value  and  importance  of 
education  and  intelligence.  He  not  only  wanted  the 
preachers  to  be  studious,  but  also  the  laity,  and  he 
provided  for  the  children  a  liberal  assortment  of 
juvenile  literature.  All  impressions  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding,  Seybert  thoroughly  believed  that 


Varied  Experiences. 


229 


intelligence  should  be  fostered  by  the  Church.  He 
was  a  man  of  advanced  thought  and  broad  ideas. 
His  plans  were  comprehensive.  He  thought  of  the 
$  future,  and  plainly  foresaw  that  under  the  American 
system  of  free  schools  an  era  of  general  education 
was  sure  to  come,  and  he  wanted  the  Church  to  be 
abreast  of  the  times.  If  any  sentiment  adverse  to 
educational  interests  did  prevail  in  the  Church,  the 
first  Bishop  did  all  in  his  power  to  counteract  and 
dispel  that  sentiment.  The  great  abuse  of  learning 
in  higher  literary  institutions  in  Europe  and  America, 
had  filled  man)/  of  our  members  not  only  with  in- 
difference towards  it,  but  with  prejudice  against  it. 
But  Seybert  saw  that  the  results  of  the  abuse  of  any- 
thing were  no  argument  against  its  proper  utility, 
and  he  accordingly  manifested  a  particular  zeal  in 
creating  a  healthy  public  sentiment  on  this  question, 
believing  that  it  was  not  too  late  to  rescue  learning 
from  the  vandal  hands  of  the  Philistines,  and  to  create 
and  spread  a  literature  whose  motto  should  be,  "Holi- 
ness unto  the  Lord". 

The  Bishop's  journey  from  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  the 
place  of  the  West  Pennsylvania  conference  session, 
to  Lafayette,  Ohio,  the  place  where  the  Ohio  con- 
ference met,  was  accordingly  a  most  laborious  out. 
Instead  of  riding  on  horseback,  as  he  had  always 
done,  he  employed  a  new  conveyance,  which  he  took 
to  Ohio  for  a  brqther.  Despite  bad  roads  he  reached 
Lafayette  in  due  time. 

After  conference  the  Bishop  visited  a  number  of 
appointments  in  Southern  Ohio,  attended  a  successful 


230  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

camp-meeting  at  John  Bright's  in  Fairfield  Co.,  Ohio, 
and  then  started  to  visit  the  Fort  Wayne  mission? 
Indiana,  going  through  Portland  and  Alexandria. 
After  traveling  a  very  long  distance  without  finding  a 
single  house  where  he  might  feed  his  horse,  not  even 
a  tavern,  and  the  people  along  the  road  being  very 
poor,  he  finally  encamped  in  a  wood,  and  while  his 
horse  was  grazing,  he  engaged  in  reading  the  Bible, 
prayer  and  quiet  contemplation.  Meanwhile  his 
horse  played  truant  and  ran  away  in  the  direction  it 
had  come.  He  started  after  it  in  great  haste,  and  did 
not  overtake  it  until  it  had  gone  a  number  of  miles 
from  the  place  of  rendezvous.  The  race  greatly  ex- 
hausted the  Bishop.  It  was  night  before  he  reached 
Alexandria.  To  make  the  matter  worse,  he  got  into 
a  large,  primitive  forest,  through  the  labyrinths  of 
which  he  wandered  for  many  miles  in  the  dark,  before 
finding  his  way  out  again.  Next  morning  he  passed 
through  another  forest,  eighteen  miles  in  length,  and 
almost  pathless,  but  had  the  good  fortune  to  ride 
with  the  post  man.  The  latter  was  a  noisy  fellow, 
however,  blowing  his  horn  so  vehemently,  that  its 
shrill  sound  echoed  and  rolled  almost  continuously 
through  the  great  woods.  Only  a  few  people  lived 
alone  the  road  in  this  forest,  in  miserable  huts. 

Bro.  Seybert  reached  Fort  Wayne  July  3d,  and 
preached  at  Bro.  Keim's  in  the  evening.  Next  day, 
being  Independence  day,  he  traveled  further  west, 
while  the  people  celebrated  the  day  as  usual  with 
shooting,  swearing,  carousing,  dancing  and  drinking. 
He  remarks:    "This  is  the  way  our  western  nominal 


Varied  Experiences. 


231 


Christians  give  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  national 
independence  and  personal  liberty  of  conscience. — 
Still,  fortunately,  it  is  not  the  God  of  Heaven,  whom 
these  people  serve  and  at  whose  altars  they  offer 
their  sacrifice  of  fools,  but  Bacchus,  the  god  of  de- 
bauchery, gluttony  and  dissipation.  Yea,  the  devil 
gets  thanks  for  these  blessings,  and  surely  they  are 
not  his  due." 

July  7th,  1 84 1,  Bro.  Seybert  celebrated  his  fiftieth 
birthday  with  this  journal  entry: 

' 'To-day  I  am  fifty  years  old.  Oh,  I  would  dis- 
solve in  tears  of  gratitude  and  praise  to  God,  and 
appear  in  deepest  humility  before  His  throne  of  grace 
for  the  love  with  which  He  has  crowned  my  days.  I 
have  now  lived  through  half  a  century,  in  which 
millions  not  so  old  as  I,  have  passed  into  eternity. 
O  God!  O  God!  O  God!  what  shall  I  render  unto 
Thee,  because  Thou  hast  borne  me  with  so  much 
patience  until  this  day?  I  will  present  unto  Thee  my 
soul  and  body  as  a  sacrifice,  and  devote' all  my  future 
days  to  Thy  service.  Oh,  do  Thou  qualify  me,  to  be 
of  some  service  to  the  praise  of  Thy  excellent 
strength,  and  the  benefit  of  mankind,  through  Jesus 
Christ!" 

The  Bishop,  as  one  would  suppose,  believed  in  the 
special  providence  of  God,  and  took  refuge  in  prayer, 
even  in  small  matters,  with  Him  who  counts  the  hairs 
of  our  head,  clothes  the  lilies  of  the  field,  and  sees 
the  sparrow's  helpless  fall. 

August  13th,  1 84 1,  he  reached  South  Bend,  Ind., 
where  his  horse  became  sick.    He  led  it  out  of  the 


232  Life  and  Labors  of  jfohn  Seybert. 

city  into  a  grove  near  by,  and  tried  every  means 
known  to  him  to  relieve  it,  but  in  vain.  The  baffled 
Bishop  saw  his  faithful  beast  lying  on  the  ground  in  a 
condition  which  gave  no  hope  of  recovery.  He  now 
turned  from  the  creature  to  the  creature's  God  in 
prayer.  On  his  knees,  with  upturned  face  and  tear- 
ful eyes,  he  pleaded  with  God  to  have  mercy  on  him 
and  restore  his  horse,  so  that  he  might  not  lose  him, 
because  he  needed  him  to  fill  his  appointments.  He 
said,  "Thou  hast  often  helped  me  in  marvellous  ways* 
and  Thou  canst  help  me  also  in  this  time  of  need!' 
Upon  this  he  arose,  turned  his  eyes  in  the  direction 
of  his  horse,  —  and  to  his  great  joy  the  beast  was  on 
its  feet  and  stood  demurely  behind  its  master,  quietly 
grazing"  as  if  nothing  had  occurred.  He  led  it  back 
to  the  city,  fed  it,  and  was  soon  ready  again  for 
travel. 

On  his  way  to  the  West,  he  mentions  among  other 
things  that  one  Sunday  he  heard  two  preachers,  one 
in  German  and  another  in  English,  whose  preaching 
was  "so  superficial  that  the  services  were  perfectly 
quiet.**  He  does  not  mention  who  they  were,  but 
he  was  evidently  displeased  with  their  preaching. 

Thursday,  July  15th,  the  first  camp-meeting  of 
the  Flvangelical  Association,  in  the  State  of  Illinois) 
began.  This  meeting  took  place  on  the  farm  of  Bro. 
J.  Esher  (father  of  Bishop  J.  J.  Esher).  Already 
on  the  first  evening  the  friends  were  happy  and  the 
service  full  of  life.  There  were  also  penitents  at  the 
altar.      On    Sunday  the    people    thronged    to  the 

*  "Wo  es  so  leicht  daruber  herging,  dass  alles  ruing  blieb." 


Varied  Experiences. 


233 


encampment  from  near  and  far,  and  there  were  many 
attentive  listeners,  upon  whom  the  Word  made  deep 
impressions.  On  Monday  and  Tuesday  many  came 
out  from  Chicago,  of  whom  some  had  hardly  arrived 
on  the  ground  before  they  were  convicted  and 
became  penitent.  They  came  to  the  altar,  and  cried 
to  God  until  He  had  mercy  upon  them.  On  Monday 
they  had  a  most  glorious  communion  season.  In  the 
last  two  nights  the  demonstrations  of  Divine  power 
were  indeed  extraordinary. 

There  were  eighteen  tents,  in  some  of  which  two 
or  three  families  sojourned  together.  Several  of  the 
friends  had  come  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  with  ox- 
teams,  and  that  through  bridgeless  rivers  and  creeks, 
so  deep  that  in  fording  them  the  water  filled  their 
wTagons  and  spoiled  their  provisions.  It  may  be  well 
to  mention  this  for  the  benefit  of  those  in  our  time, 
who  with  good  conveyances  and  generally  good 
roads,  often  can  scarcely  be  persuaded  to  go  ten  or 
fifteen  miles  to  tent  at  a  camp-meeting. 

The  order  was  so  excellent  that  no  police  was 
needed,  which  was  something  unusual  in  those  days. 
At  this  meeting  they  also  received  the  first  brother 
as  a  preacher  on  probation  into  our  ministry. 

At  this  camp-meeting  there  were  miracles  of  nature 
as  well  as  of  grace.  Many  declared  that  the  power 
and  presence  of  Jehovah  could  be  both,  felt  and  seen, 
especially  during  a  notable  storm  one  evening.  A 
thunderstorm  is  always  dreaded  at  a  camp-meeting. 
On  this  particular  evening  a  lowering  storm  sent 
black  battalions  of  clouds  over  the  sky,  charged  with 


234  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert 


angry,  muttering  thunders  on  every  side  of  the 
encampment.  In  all  its  terror  the  storm  approached, 
apparently  driving  in  full  force  directly  upon  the 
white  semi-circle  of  tents.  The  enemies  of  the  cause 
were  already  exulting  in  the  belief  that  Divine  service 
would  be  effectually  disturbed  and  that  the  meeting 
would  be  broken  up.  But  lo!  just  as  the  storm 
reached  the  encampment,  its  hurrying  ranks  parted 
and  rushed  past,  close  on  either  side,  with  fearful 
fury  and  destructive  power,  leaving  the  spot  chosen 
for  Divine  worship  absolutely  untouched  and  unharmed. 
The  phenomenon  was  so  striking  and  so  unaccount- 
able, that  even  persons  who  made  no  profession  of 
religion  saw  the  finger  of  God.  Bishop  Seybert 
made  no  hesitation  in  declaring  that  the  Lord  had 
wrought  a  miracle  there. 

Accordingly,  then,  the  first  Bishop  of  our  Church, 
on  the  occassion  of  his  first  episcopal  visit  to  the 
State  of  Illinois,  himself  conducted  the  first  camp- 
meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Association  in  that  State, 
and  received  Rev.  Christian  Ebinger  as  the  first 
preacher  on  probation  there.  Seybert  was  assisted 
in  the  meeting  by  Revs.  J.  Hoffert,  A.  Stroh  and 
C.  H.  Lindner. 

It  is  noticeable  that  from  this  time  forward,  Bishop 
Seybert's  interest  in  the  great  West  was  enthusiastic 
and  permanent.  He  took  in  at  a  glance  its  vast 
natural  resources,  and  its  consequent  importance  as  a 
field  of  labor  for  his  Church.  So  impressed  was  he 
with  this,  that  his  praise  of  the  West  was  in  the  East 
deemed  extravagant,  and  it  subjected  him  to  censure 


Varied  Experiences. 


235 


for  partiality.  But  he  had  in  view  only  the  interests 
of  the  Church  and  of  the  cause  of  Christ, 

After  the  camp-meeting  near  Chicago  he  continued 
his  trip  westward,  preaching  in  Naperville,  now  the 
seat  of  North- Western  College,  and  finally  reached 
Illinois  mission,  in  Stephenson  Co.  On  the  way  he 
had  a  sad  experience. 

July  25th  namely,  he  stayed  all  night  at  Bro. 
George  Esher's.  In  this  vicinity  a  sad  condition  of 
things  prevailed  among  the  friends.  A  bitter  quarrel 
had  raged  among  them  for  years,  until  the  society 
became  a  total  wreck  and  was  hopelessly  divided. 
This  pained  him  the  more  deeply,  because  these 
people  were  mostly  his  own  spiritual  children,  whom 
the  Lord  gfave  him  vears  a 0-0  on  Erie  mission. 

He  preached  on  Illinois  mission,  and  held  a  blessed 
two  days  meeting  at  Bro.  John  Falget's.  Bro.  Hoffer, 
the  missionary,  was  pushing  farther  westward,  and 
extending  the  field  of  operations  across  the  Missis- 
sippi river  into  Iowa.  The  prospects  were  very 
favorable,  but  on  account  of  Bro.  H offers  rather 
feeble  health,  not  much  could  as  yet  be  accomplished. 
He  was  also  obliged  to  leave  his  charge  to  attend  a 
camp-meeting,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
five  miles  away,  as  preachers  were  scarce  out  there 
as  yet. 

At  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  a  glorious  revival  had  begun.  - 
A  goodly  number  had  already  been  converted  and 
added  to  our  church.    The  Germans  were  emigrating 
from  New  York  and  Buffalo  and  settling  in  this  new 
commercial  centre  of  the  North- West  in  large  numbers. 


236  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


There  was,  therefore,  a  large  and  fruitful  field  of  labor 
there  for  our  Church. 

In  Chicago  a  fine  society  already  existed,  who 
worshiped  God  in  Spirit  and  truth.  Many  Germans 
lived  there  also,  among  whom,  the  Bishop  predicted, 
our  efforts  will  yet  bring  glorious  fruit. 

In  August  his  malarial  troubles  finally  left  him,  and 
though  sometimes  he  felt  feeble,  and  traveling 
seemed  laborious,  yet  he  grew  better  and  was  in  a 
cheerful  state  of  mind. 

At  that  time  the  Church  was  reaching  out  with 
gigantic  strides,  displaying  wonderful  enterprise 
in  following  on  the  very  heels  of  immigration,  and 
with  commendable  sagacity  planting  her  banner  so 
timely  in  the  young  giant  cities  of  the  upper  lakes. 
In  both  of  these  cities,  accordingly,  the  Evangelical 
Association  has  enjoyed  a  degree  of  prosperity,  com- 
mensurate with  the  development  of  the  population. 

After  this  visit  to  the  extensive  frontier  line  of  the 
Church,  Bishop  Seybert  retraced  his  steps  and  started 
towards  his  native  East,  preaching  through  Indiana 
and  Ohio  as  he  went,  and  attending  camp-meetings. 

From  August  31st  to  September  4th,  he  attended 
a  blessed  camp-meeting  on  the  farm  of  Rev.  Adam 
Haney  (Hennig),  near  West  Salem,  Ohio,  a  few 
miles  north  of  the  site  of  the  present  permanent 
camp-ground  of  Cleveland  district.  There  were  38 
tents,  occupied  in  many  instances  by  several  families, 
and  there  were  sometimes  25  seekers  at  the  altar  at 
one  time.  From  there  he  went  to  another  camp- 
meeting  in  Stark  county,  which  was  very  largely 


Varied  Experiences. 


attended.  One  hundred  and  forty-six  participated  in 
the  communion  service. 

Then  he  attended  another  camp-meeting  farther 
east  where,  while  God's  people  rejoiced  greatly, 
there  was  terrible  carousing  on  the  part  of  the 
ungodly  rabble  in  the  grove. 

He  also  preached  in  Summit  Co.,  Ohio,  at  the 
house  of  a  brother  who  was  once  a  hard  drinker. 
He  had  been  a  "kind  of  Mennonite",  but  his  wicked- 
ness knew  no  bounds.  He  was  a  powerful  man,  the 
terror  of  his  community,  and  addicted  to  every  form 
of  vice.  For  eighteen  years  he  was  a  toper,  drinking 
rum  as  an  ox  drinks  water,  until  he  could  devour 
three  quarts  of  brandy  daily.  This  wretch  was 
however  awakened  through  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  by  our  preachers,  and  being  soundly  con- 
verted, was  delivered  from  his  loathsome  vices,  and 
ever  afterwards  zealous  in  the  Lord's  service,  for 
which,  Bro.  Seybert  says,  "let  every  one  give  glory, 
not  unto  us,  but  unto  God." 

In  1842,  the  East  Pennsylvania  conference  was 
held  March  2d,  in  Allentown,  the  West  Pennsylvania 
conference  April  6th,  in  New  Berlin,  and  the  Ohio 
conference  May  nth,  in  Pickaway  Co.,  Ohio. 
Though  there  were  in  all  seventeen  accessions  to 
the  ranks  of  the  itinerancy  at  these  conference 
sessions,  yet  the  good  Bishop  was  grieved  over  the 
fact  that  nine  others  located.  While  welcoming  the 
new  men,  he  wished  to  retain  all  the  old  ones,  for 
only  in  this  way  could  he  realize  his  desire  for  the 
constant  extension  of  the  boundaries  of  the  Associa- 


238 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


tion,  for  which  he  labored  day  and  night.  Still 
the  current  year  was  a  prosperous  one  in  this  regard. 

After  the  conference,  Bro.  Seybert  delivered  a 
temperance  lecture  in  the  public  hall,  Allentown,  to  a 
large  audience.  His  address  was  applauded,  and 
some  twenty  signed  the  pledge. 

Bishop  Seybert  took  another  large  quantity  of 
books  with  him  from  New  Berlin  to  the  West,  this 
year.  This  time  he  sold  his  horse  before  starting, 
and  traveled  with  his  books  per  canal-boats,  steam- 
boats and  railroads.  This  was  with  him  a  labor  of 
love.  He  paid  the  expenses  of  transportation,  sold 
them  to  preachers  and  people  for  cash  where  he 
could,  on  credit  where  it  was  necessary,  and  gave 
them  to  the  poor  gratuitously.  So  desirous  was  he 
to  awaken  a  taste  for  study  and  reading  among  the 
people,  that  he  cheerfully  suffered  the  loss  of  a 
hundred  dollars  or  more,  annually,  in  this  way.  He 
believed  that  Christians  ought  to  be  reading  people, 
and  did  all  in  his  power  to  foster  intelligence  among 
them.  In  fact,  Bishop  Seybert  voluntarily  assumed 
the  laborious  duties  of  a  practical  colporteur,  in  addi- 
tion to  his  legitimate  official  duties.  This  fact  is  the 
more  striking  in  a  period  when  especially  the  German 
population  of  this  country  was  uneducated,  and  was 
without  taste  for  learning  or  appreciation  of  its  value. 
Besides,  it  is  a  very  practical  refutation  of  the  hack- 
neyed charge  that  the  early  preachers  of  our  Church 
were  opposed  to  education.  This  was  undoubtedly 
true  respecting  some  of  them,  whose  sentiments 
seemed  especially,  however,  to  militate  against  an 


Va  ried  Experiences.  239 

''educated  ministry'.  But  this  sentiment  was  not 
universally  entertained,  though,  even  had  it  been  the 
case,  it  would  not  have  been  strange.  The  clergy  of 
the  German  churches  were,  as  has  been  seen,  any- 
thing but  pious.  They  were  a  godless  set  of  men, 
and  at  the  same  time  undeniably  "educated"  accord- 
ing to  the  standards  of  those  times.  In  this  way 
education  and  ungodliness  became  associated  to- 
gether, and  the  public  mind  attributed  the  wickedness 
of  the  clergy  to  their  education.  And  the  inference 
was  correct,  too,  so  far  as  these  clergymen  were 
educated  in  the  skeptical  and  rationalistic  universities 
of  Europe.  But  sagacious  men,  like  Bishop  Seybert, 
saw  well  enough  that  education  per  se  was  not  at 
fault,  but  the  insidious  scientific  rationalism  of  the 
German  schools,  both  in  Europe  and  America,  and 
rightly  insisted  that  a  Christian  education  is  a  great 
blessing.  Bishop  Seybert  himself  specially  emphasized 
the  idea  that  all  educational  systems  must  be  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  Christian  Spirit.  That  is  a  truth  that 
will  bear  practical  application  to  the  end  of  time. 

But  we  have  unequivocal  proof  that  Bishop  John 
Seybert  was  a  true  and  sincere  friend  of  scientific 
culture.  The  story  having  gained  currency  that  he 
was  opposed  to  it,  one  of  the  financial  agents  of 
Union  Seminary  encountered  great  difficulty  in  secur- 
ing financial  support  for  that  institution  among  the 
sturdy  Pennsylvanians.  The  good  Bishop  upon  this 
wrote  the  following  remarkable  document,  the  auto- 
graph of  which  Bishop  R.  Dubs  discovered  some 
years  ago  and  has  translated  literally  as  follows: 


240  Ltfe  and  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


"At  the  request  of  Daniel  Kreamer,  the  collector 
of  Union  Seminary  in  New  Berlin,  the  undersigned 
certifies  that  he  is  not  against  good  schools,  and  that 
he  also  purposes  to  do  something  for  the  support  of 
scientific  culture,  in  case  his  circumstances  will  better 
warrant  it.  John  Seybert." 

"  March  15,  18—." 

His  trip  to  the  West  with  his  books  was  laborious 
and  eventful. 

April  20th  he  helped  Bro.  Hammer,  the  Book 
Agent,  pack  the  books  to  take  along  to  the  West. 
He  had  "made  up  his  mind  to  take  a  good  lot  along 
this  time,  so  as  to  relieve  for  once  the  great  want  of 
books  in  the  West." 

Next  day  he  set  out  early,  as  he  had  a  long  journey 
to  make  per  pedes,  from  New  Berlin  to  the  canal, 
having  hired  a  teamster  to  haul  the  books  to  that 
thoroughfare.  In  the  evening  of  the  first  day  he 
preached,  and  God's  blessing  came  upon  the  people 
in  such  a  manner,  that  there  was  a  great  commotion. 
One  sister  was  so  overwhelmed  by  the  power  of  God, 
that  she  sank  down  in  a  rapturous  entrancement,  from 
which  she  did  not  awaken  until  at  family  worship 
next  morning. 

Next  evening  his  literary  cargo  was  transferred  to 
a  canal-boat,  in  which  he  traveled  on  that  whole  night. 
The  weather  was  fine.  Garden  and  field  and  meadow 
were  already  covered  with  grass  and  flowers,  and  the 
forests  were  putting  on  their  resurrection  robes  again. 
The  good  man  was  enabled  to  praise  the  Lord  with 
all  his  heart,  on  this  account. 


Varied  Experiences. 


241 


At  Holidaysburgh  he  transferred  his  books  to  the 
railroad,  and  crossed  the  Alleghany  Mountains  per 
railway,  and  then  resumed  the  canal  for  Pittsburgh. 
The  captain  and  crew  of  this  boat  were  awfully 
wicked,  and  the  trip  was  therefore  by  no  means  an 
agreeable  one. 

At  Pittsburgh  he  took  the  steamer  Gloucester  and 
sailed  down  the  Ohio  River  to  Portsmouth,  landing 
at  the  latter  port  Sunday  evening  at  five  o'clock. 
On  the  steamer  he  fell  in  with  a  most  ungodly  rabble. 
Soon  after  sailing  from  Pittsburgh  they  searched  for 
a  liquor  bar,  which  they  found  on  board.  They 
"drank  down  a  heavy  dose  of  liquid  fire,  and  then  be- 
gan the  revel".  Amid  frightful  profanity  they  entered 
into  "the  Devil's  service  at  the  card  table".  Seeing 
this,  he  commended  the  boat,  its  crew  and  himself 
into  the  hand  of  God,  and  laid  down  to  rest.  He 
slept  softly  and  awoke  next  morning  happy  in  God. 
From  Portsmouth  he  started  northward  along  the 
Scioto  River,  and  finally  reached  Circleville,  May  6th, 
near  which  place  the  Ohio  conference  met.  How 
glad  he  was  to  be  among  friends  again  and  converse 
with  them  about  the  things  of  God,  after  being  so 
lonof  a  time  among-  "the  sons  of  Belial". 

After  the  session  of  the  Ohio  conference  had  been 
held,  and  the  books  had  been  disposed  of,  the  Bishop 
purchased  another  horse,  and  started  westward  in 
company  with  Rev.  J.  G.  Zinser.  They  went  by  way 
of  Elkhart  and  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  and  reached 
Chicago  July  6th. 

July  7th,  1842.  "O  God!  what  shall  I  render  unto 
16 


/ 


242  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 

Thee,  or  what  offering  shall  I  bring,  for  all  the  good- 
ness which  Thou  hast  shown  me!  Thou  hast  caused 
me  to  experience  Thy  great  love,  all  the  years,, 
months,  weeks,  days,  hours,  minutes  and  seconds  of 
my  life.  O  God!  I  am  pained  at  the  thought  of  hav- 
ing done  so  little  for  Thy  glory  and  for  Thy  kingdom. 
Oh,  give  grace  and  strength  that  I  may  dedicate  my 
future  life  wholly  to  Thee,  and  that  I  may  spend  all 
my  future  days  joyfully  in  Thy  service,  through  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen." 

That  day  he  began  the  second  camp-meeting  in 
Illinois,  on  the  same  ground  where  a  year  ago  he 
had  held  the  first  German  camp-meeting  which  was 
ever  held  in  that  State.  They  could  have  no  preach- 
ing, however,  the  first  evening,  on  account  of  a  heavy 
rain  and  thunderstorm.  But  there  was  weeping  and 
praying  among  penitents  here  and  there  in  various 
tents.* 

Next  morning,  Seybert  was  to  have  preached,  but 
as  there  were  so  many  penitents  at  the  altar  of  prayer 
crying  for  mercy,  the  idea  of  preaching  had  to  be 
abandoned  again,  and  they  went  on  laboring  with  the 
seekers.  Before  noon  nearly  all  were  gloriously 
saved.    This  caused  such  rejoicing  among  the  saints, 

*  Readers  may  wonder  how  it  was  brought  about,  that  there  were  peni- 
tents in  distress  of  soul  already  on  the  first  evening,  and  that  before  even  a 
public  service  had  been  held.  This  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  in 
those  days  the  people  of  God  had  the  commendable  custom  of  persuading 
as  many  of  their  unconverted  friends  as  possible,  to  go  with  them  to  camp- 
meeting.  These  unconverted  friends  had  been  made  the  subjects  of  special 
prayers,  and  had  been  pleaded  with,  perhaps,  for  months.  Some  of  them 
were  serious  or  even  penitent  before  they  started  to  camp-meeting,  and 
went  with  the  purpose  of  seeking  religion.  Their  Christian  friends  kept 
them  in  tow,  and  the  result  was,  they  were  converted. 


Varied  Experiences. 


2  43 


that  shouting  became  the  order  of  the  day.  Some  of 
the  new  converts  were  overwhelmed  with  holy  joy. 

Thus  they  had  a  mighty  victory  at  the  very  onset 
of  the  meeting,  almost  before  they  were  fully  aware 
of  the  fact,  and  had  attained  results  before  a  single 
sermon  had  been  preached.  The  meeting  was 
equally  good  to  the  close. 

A  hundred  and  thirty-seven  guests  participated 
in  the  holy  communion.  It  was  a  blessed  time.  At 
this  camp-meeting  the  forests  as  a  rule  were  vocal 
with  prayer  and  praise  before  day-break.  It 
reminded  Bro.  Seybert  of  those  delectable  times 
when  Albright,  Miller  and  Walter  were  yet  among 
us  and  blew  the  Gospel  trumpet.  On  the  last  two 
days  of  this  meeting,  which  were  the  best  of  the  feast, 
there  were  sudden  and  powerful  conversions.  Aged 
sinners  sixty  and  seventy  years  old  were  moved  to 
repentance  and  soundly  converted.  Men  and  women 
came  sixty  miles  on  foot  to  this  meeting,  with  the 
purpose  of  seeking  the  Lord,  and  went  home  rejoicing. 

Twenty-three  tents  graced  the  circle,  and  the 
conduct  of  the  people  was  respectable,  "for  in  this 
region  the  wicked  parsons  had  not  yet  incited  them 
against  the  children  of  God  ".  This  saved  our  people 
from  molestation  at  these  meetings.  "  It  will  further- 
more be  very  difficult",  the  Bishop  thought,  "for  an 
uncircumcised  teacher  to  gain  a  foothold  here  now, 
because  the  light  of  truth  is  too  great,  and  the  pros- 
pect for  a  great  religious  revival  is  too  apparent. 
On  this  account  let  us  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

In  September  (1842),  while  traveling  in  the  State 


244 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


of  New  York,  the  Bishop  came  up  one  evening,  a 
while  before  dark,  to  a  temperance  hotel.  He  could 
have  gone  farther,  but  seeing  the  "temperance  sign" 
he  concluded  to  patronize  the  place  and  stay  there  for 
the  night.  After  the  Bishop's  horse  had  been  put 
away  and  he  had  been  shown  to  a  quiet  room,  he 
soon  sought  an  opportunity  to  express  his  delight  at 
finding  such  public  houses  where  no  intoxicants  are 
sold,  and  where  "no  drunkards  are  made".  The 
landlord,  however,  was  not  long  in  informing  his 
guest,  that  it  had  already  cost  him  much  persecution 
to  conduct  his  business  on  temperance  principles. 
He  said  the  whiskey  rabble  had  often  treated  him 
very  rudely.  On  one  occasion  a  crowd  of  these 
disciples  of  Bacchus  overcame  him,  and  so  maltreated 
him  that  he  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  He  declared, 
however,  that  notwithstanding  these  persecutions  he 
was  determined  to  carry  his  temperance  enterprise 
through,  let  it  cost  what  it  will. 

This  aroused  the  Bishop.  Shrugging  his  shoulders 
and  nodding  his  head  in  that  nervous  manner  so 
peculiar  to  him,  he  told  the  landlord  that  this  was 
a  good  resolution,  exhorted  him  to  carry  it  out,  and 
even  if  ''the  living  devil's  of  hell"  should  attack  him. 
"The  cause,"  said  he,  "is  a  good  one,  and  God  will 
support  you  and  give  you  victory  and  success.  The 
devil  and  wicked  people  always  will  oppose  a  good 
undertaking,  but  with  the  help  of  the  Lord  it  will 
nevertheless  succeed." 

On  his  return  from  the  West,  the  Bishop  often 
related  the  following  story: 


Varied  Experiences. 


^45 


In  Wisconsin  a  fiddler  was  converted.  After  his 
conversion  he  did  not  wish  any  longer  to  use  an 
instrument  that  had  so  often  been  the  means  of  lead- 
ing" him  into  dissipation  and  vice,  and  therefore  traded 
the  fiddle  off  for  a  pig.  "This  brother  did  wisely",  the 
Bishop  thought;  "the  fiddle  could  be  of  no  possible 
use  to  him,  because  a  converted  man  does  not  play  at 
dances,  whereas  the  swine  could  be  of  some  use  to 
his  family." 

The  closing  days  of  the  year  he  spent  in  New  York. 
In  this  greatest  and  most  flourishing  city  of  the 
United  States  the  German  citizens  lived  in  frightful 
wickedness;  they  were  sunken  in  vice  and  ungodli- 
ness, error  and  ignorance  were  their  masters.  In 
their  so-called  religious  exercises  barbarous  scenes 
occurred.  It  was  nqt  unfrequently  the  case  that  the 
worshippers  fell  to  quarreling  and  fighting  in  the 
house  ostensibly  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God. 
Rationalism,  blasphemous  deism'  and  flippant  univer- 
salism  combined  to  work  the  temporal  and  eternal 
ruin  of  these  people.  Intoxication  at  every  opportun- 
ity was  their  foremost  vice.  They  were  addicted  to 
this  sin  in  a  frightful  measure.  For  instance,  at  the 
festivities  connected  with  the  christening  of  a  child, 
they  indulged  in  singing  Satan's  songs,  and  ate  and 
drank  to  such  excess  that  twenty  flasks  of  wine  were 
emptied,  and  this  at  the  house  of  a  poor  man.  This  is 
a  sample  of  a  German  christening  in  New  York  City  at 
that  time.  He  found  an  earnest  society  of  some  fifty 
members  there,  however,  and  hoped  it  would  yet  prove 
a  great  blessing  to  the  Germans  of  this  wicked  city. 


246 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


During  this  year  Bishop  Seybert  traveled  five 
thousand  six  hundred  and  eleven  miles,  —  more  than 
in  any  previous  year. 

Bishop  Seybert's  life-long  watchword  was,  "  Not 
unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but  unto  Thy  Name  be 
the  glory".  Following  is  a  remarkable  occurrence, 
which  he  frequently  related  to  warn  preachers  and 
others  against  seeking  the  honors  of  the  world  and 
the  applause  of  men: 

"A  minister,  weary  with  his  Sunday  forenoon 
service,  retired  to  a  quiet  chamber  to  rest.  Hardly 
had  he  lain  down  on  the  sofa,  before  he  fell  asleep 
and  dreamed.  He  thought  he  was  walking  in  a 
garden,  amid  flowers  and  shrubbery,  and  sat  down 
under  a  shady  arbor  to  read  and  meditate.  It  now 
seemed  to  him  as  if  he  heard  the  sound  of  footsteps, 
as  of  some  one  coming  into  the  garden,  and  he  at 
once  arose  to  go  in  the  direction  whence  the  sound 
proceeded.  Directly  he  was  met  by  a  particular 
friend  of  his,  also  a  minister,  a  man  of  great  gifts 
and  splendid  talents,  and  who  was  highly  honored  on 
account  of  his  zeal  in  the  public  service.  He  noticed 
a  singular  expression  of  distress,  anxiety  and  fear  in 
his  friend's  countenance,  but  the  two  ministers  greeted 
one  another  with  the  usual  cordiality.  The  new 
comer  inquired  the  time  of  day.  Twenty-five  minutes 
past  four  d clock'  was  the  laconic  reply.  Said  the 
other,  Lt  is  now  exactly  one  hoiir  since  I  am  in  the 
spirit  world,  and  I  am  damned!'  'What!  damned? 
Why?'  exclaimed  the  shocked  dreamer.  Solemnly, 
sadly,  but  deliberately  the  answer  came:    'Not,'  said 


Varied  Experiences. 


247 


the  unfortunate  man,  '  because  I  have  not  preached 
the  Word  of  God,  not  that  I  have  not  been  useful; 
for  I  have  many  seals  to  my  ministry;  there  are  many 
in  glory  to-day  who  can  testify  that  I  was  the  instru- 
ment of  their  salvation.  But  it  is  because  I  sought  the 
praise  of  men  and  the  honor  and  fame  of  the  world, 
rather  than  the  glory  of  God.  1  have  my  just  reward!' 
The  minister  awoke.  The  dream  made  a  singular 
impression  upon  his  mind.  He  started  towards  his 
church  for  the  evening  service,  musingly  and  in  a 
strangely  solemn  mood.  On  the  way  he  met  a 
friend,  who  asked  him  at  once  whether  he  had  been 
apprised  of  the  great  loss  the  church  had  that  day 
sustained,   and   that   the    celebrated   and  talented 

Rev.    was  dead?    '  No,'  said  he  with  surprise 

and  amazement.  Tremblingly  he  ventured  to  inquire 
at  what  time  he  had  died,  and  the  startling,  laconic 
reply  was,  At  twenty-five  minutes  past  three  d clock 
this  afternoon  /'" 


248  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


CHAPTER  XL 

VARIED  EXPERIENCES — CONTINUED. 

In  February,  1843,  one  day  Bro.  Seybert  preached 
at  the  house  of  a  converted  tavern-keeper  in  the 
valley  of  the  Mahanoy.  This  man,  before  his  con- 
version, manufactured  brandy  and  kept  a  bar,  but 
since  his  conversion  he  had  learned  to  see  his  wrong. 
He  broke  his  brandy  flasks  and  poured  their  liquid 
poison  into  the  streets.  At  the  same  time  he  ordered 
one  of  his  employes  to  cut  down  the  sign,  and  looked 
on  with  great  delight  until  the  Satanic  banner  came 
down  with  a  crash.  44  Now  the  liquor  traffic  is  at  an 
end  there",  Seybert  says,  "and  the  place  has  been 
consecrated  to  the  Lord's  service.  The  tavern  has 
become  a  house  of  prayer  and  a  genial  home  for  the 
preachers  of  the  Gospel.  Hallelujah  to  the  Lamb 
that  was  slain!    Praise  the  Lord!" 

The  same  month  the  Bishop  dedicated  the  first 
church  in  our  Association  which  was  furnished  with 
a  tower  and  bell.  The  church  was  built  at  Millheim, 
Pa.,  in  1842. 

About  this  time  a  revival  took  place  at  Manhein, 
where  wonders  of  grace  occurred.  Some  of  the 
worst  men  in  the  place  were  converted.  One  of 
them  was  a  drunkard,  who,  while  he  yet  held  to  his 
ancient  faith,  was  often  full  of  wine  to  overflowing. 
On  one  occasion  he  fell  on  the  street  in  a  drunken 
stupor  during  a  severe  hail  storm,  and  lay  there  until 


Varied  Experiences. 


249 


he  was  stiff  with  cold,  and  his  neighbors  had  to  take 
him  home,  and  only  restored  him  to  life  and  con- 
sciousness with  much  labor.  They  will  have  no 
trouble  of  that  kind  with  him  now,  the  Bishop 
thought,  for  he  can  go  home  alone,  though  he  is  "not 
always  exactly  sober,  but  full  of  the  ancient  wine  of 
Pentecost!1  "Another  was  saved  at  this  meeting,  who 
was  so  depraved  and  so  deeply  fallen,  that  no  person 
could  live  with  him,  but  after  his  conversion  he  was  a 
real  pleasure  to  his  neighbors.  Another  man  was 
converted  who  had  often  signed  the  total  abstinence 
pledge,  but  always  broke  it  again,  being  utterly  un- 
able to  overcome  his  terrible  appetite.  It  is  very 
different  now  that  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad 
in  his  heart.  He  is  very  devoted,  and  being  a  good 
singer,  a  very  useful  member  of  the  society.  His 
wife,  and  children  have  also  started  on  the  narrow 
way,  and  are  working  out  their  salvation.  Still  an- 
other, who  was  known  as  a  brutal  prize-fighter,  has 
also  been  brought  to  Jesus.  Since  his  conversion, 
which,  however,  occurred  already  two  years  before, 
he  has  been  fighting  against  sin  and  the  devil.  This 
man  died  in  peace,  having  overcome  by  the  Blood  of 
the  Lamb  and  by  the  word  of  his  testimony,  and 
already  enjoys  the  fruitions  of  grace  in  the  world  of 
spirits."  "O  my  brethren,"  the  Bishop  cries,  "give 
God  the  glory  for  such  triumphs  of  grace!"  During- 
this  revival  the  Bishop  delivered  a  powerful  temper- 
ance lecture  there,  which  resulted  in  much  good. 

This  year  the  East  Pennsylvania  conference  was 
held  in  Lebanon,  March  2 2d,  and  the  West  Pennsyl- 


250  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


vania  conference  near  Carlisle,  April  5th.  Afterthese 
conference  sessions  were  over,  the  Bishop,  in  com- 
pany with  Rev.  J.  Heis,  went  to  New  Berlin,  where 
he  had  business  at  the  Publishing  House  which 
occupied  several  days.  During  his  stay  he  also 
attended  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Parent  Mission- 
ary Society,  and  at  its  request  preached  a  missionary 
sermon. 

After  transacting  necessary  business  and  visiting 
a  considerable  number  of  friends,  besides  preaching 
several  times  and  delivering  a  temperance  lecture, 
he  set  out  for  the  session  of  the  Ohio  conference. 
Under  Divine  protection  he  crossed  the  Alleghanies 
in  safety,  and  arrived  at  Pittsburgh  April  28th,  where 
he  was  kindly  received  and  hospitably  entertained  by 
Bro.  Herr.  While  stopping  here  he  also  visited  a 
number  of  German  Methodist  families  together  with 
their  preacher,  who  greatly  desired  that  the  Bishop 
should  tarry  and  preach  for  him. 

April  30th  he  rode  through  bad  roads  and  inclem- 
ent weather  to  Economy,  to  visit  his  mother,  and 
found  her  in  a  good  state  of  health  for  a  woman 
seventy-five  years  of  age.  The  visit  gave  her  much 
pleasure.  Two  days  later  he  reached  the  State  of 
Ohio,  and  visited  a  few  friends  at  Freedom.  "I  could 
hardly  get  away  from  them;  they  urged  me  so  hard 
to  remain  and  preach  to  them.  There  is  a  good 
prospect  for  conversions  there." 

Thursday  he  reached  Greensburg,  where  he  deliv- 
ered a  missionary  address  to  a  large  congreation. 
This  holy  cause  was  handsomely  supported  there. 


/  raried  Experiences. 


On  Saturday  he  reached  a  "big  meeting''  in  progress 
at  Henry  Meyer's  in  Wayne  Co..  Ohio.  On  Sunday 
afternoon,  for  the  encouragement  of  the  local  auxili- 
ary missionary  society,  a  missionary  sermon  was 
preached  and  a  collection  taken,  amounting  to 
seventy-five  dollars. 

The  Bishop  arrived  at  Flat  Rock.  Seneca  count}-, 
the  seat  of  the  Ohio  conference,  in  good  time. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  business,  but  it  was 
transacted  with  dispatch,  in  a  brotherly  and  harmoni- 
ous manner.  The  boundaries  of  the  work  were 
greatly  extended  in  the  West  during  the  last  few 
years.  So  remarkably  had  the  work  increased  that 
the  conference  was  under  the  necessity  of  forming 
two  new  districts.  A  great  field  was  open  for 
faithful  laborers.  • 

During  the  Summer  of  1843  Bishop  Seybert  was 
physically  quite  indisposed.  He  had  contracted  a 
violent  cough,  besides  exhausting  his  strength  by 
over- work. 

We  have  now  reached  the  end  of  Bishop  Seybert's 
first  term  of  office  in  the  episcopacy  —  the  General 
conference  of  1843.  His  last  regular  meeting  was 
held  in  August  in  Illinois.  He  then  traveled  south- 
ward,  spending  several  days  among  the  Germans  of 
Peoria,  111.,  and  from  there  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
At  the  very  urgent  invitation  of  the  pastor  of  the 
German  Methodist  society,  he  assisted  in  holding- 
communion  service  and  administered  the  rite  of 
baptism  among  them.  He  observed  that  at  that 
time  fully  one -third    of   the  30.000  population  of 


25-  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


St.  Louis  were  Germans.  From  here  he  retraced 
his  steps  and  started  for  Dayton,  Ohio.  On  the  way- 
he  was  troubled  with  attacks  of  chills  and  fever.  To 
his  delight  he  found  the  work  prospering,  especially 
at  Mt.  Carmel,  111.,  Germantown,  Ind.,  and  Dayton, 
Ohio.  Thence  he  made  a  flying  trip  through 
Sandusky  district,  Ohio  conference,  and  Mohawk 
district  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  finally,  after 
a  long  and  toilsome  journey,  he  returned  to  Greens- 
burg,  Summit  Co.,  O.,  which  had  been  his  objective 
point  during  all  this  circuitous  tour.  At  this  place 
the  General  conference  met  in  October.  The  Bishop 
arrived  October  20th,  a  few  days  before  that  body 
convened. 

The  chief  business  transacted  by  this  General 
conference,  with'  which  we  are  properly  concerned 
in  this  narrative,  was  the  re-election  of  Bro.  John  . 
Seybert  to  the  episcopal  office.  Episcopacy  in  the 
Evangelical  Association  is  not  an  order,  but  an  office. 
Consistently  with  this  conception,  bishops  are  not 
elected  for  life,  nor  ordained  as  such  by  the  laying  on 
of  hands,  but  are  elected  simply  and  lincensed  for  a 
term  of  four  years.  They  are  however  eligible  to 
re-election  during  life  or  "  good  behaviour "  and 
satisfactory  administration. 

Bishop  Seybert,  it  appears,  considered  himself  in 
office,  until  on  the  ninth  day  of  the  session,  the 
episcopal  question  was  brought  up.  It  was  then 
declared  that  the  Evangelical  Association  was  with- 
out a  bishop  at  that  moment.  Upon  this  the  feasi- 
bility of  electing  two  bishops,  was  taken  into  con- 


Varied  Experiences. 


253 


sideration.  It  was  finally  determined  to  elect  two, 
on  account  of  the  rapid  extension  of  the  work.  After 
discussing  the  merits  of  a  number  of  candidates,  who 
were  sent  out  of  the  room  during  the  discussion,  the 
conference  proceeded  to  an  election.  The  result  was 
that  John  Seybert  was  re-elected,  and  Joseph  Long- 
newly  elected,  to  the  episcopal  office.  Seybert  made 
the  following  entry  in  his  journal  that  evening: 

"To-day  I  was  for  tzvo  hours  and  fourteen  minutes 
relieved  of  the  office  of  bishop,  that  being  the  exact 
time  from  the  moment  when  my  term  of  service  was 
declared  to  have  expired,  to  the  moment  when  I  was 
declared  re-elected.  I  now  feel  more  than  ever  the 
high  importance  of  the  position,  and  realize  an  inward 
constraint  to  devote  myself  with  renewed  energy  and 
consecrated  zeal  to  the  work  committed  to  my  hands, 
to  journey  to  all  points  of  the  compass,  to  execute  my 
commission.  The  Lord  give  unto  me  and  unto  my 
colleague  grace  to  do  our  duty,  so  that  we  may  edify 
the  Church  and  bless  the  world!  Amen." 

The  religious  services  during  this  General  con- 
ference were  blessed  from  day  to  day  with  conver- 
sions. 

At  this  General  conference  it  was  also  resolved  to 
labor  more  in  the  English  language.  An  English  con- 
ference was  to  be  formed,  if  sufficient  English  preachers 
were  together  to  warrant  it;  and  if  800  subscribers 
could  be  secured,  an  English  periodical  should  be 
published. 

In  April,  after  the  East  Pennsylvania  conference 
had  been  held,  he  started,  in  company  with  Rev.  Levi 


254 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


Eberhard,  for  La  Fayette,  the  seat  of  the  Ohio  con- 
ference. At  John  Herr's,  near  Harmony,  Butler  Co., 
Pa.,  they  found  a  society  of  devoted  Christians,  who 
had  been  tried,  however,  as  by  fire.  Seven  families 
had  been  driven  out  of  their  houses  by  their  landlord, 
for  the  Gospel's  sake.  But  the  Lord  also  drove  out 
the  wicked  landlord,  calling  him  into  eternity. 

In  the  Spring  of  1844,  Seybert  was  again  present 
at  each  of  the  conferences.  At  the  session  of  the 
Ohio  conference,  in  La  Fayette,  Ashland  Co.,  O.,  the 
Illinois  conference  was  formed  in  accordance  with  the 
order  of  the  General  conference.  The  new  conference, 
however,  did  not  hold  its  first  regular  session  until 
the  Spring  of  1845.  Bishop  Seybert  was  greatly 
pleased  with  the  fact  that  the  General  conference  had 
given  him  a  colleague  in  the  work,  because  it  would 
enable  him  to  take  counsel  in  important  matters,  and 
would  enable  them  to  guard  the  flock  and  superintend 
the  work  more  thoroughly. 

On  account  of  the  poor  state  of  Seybert' s  health, 
Bishop  Long  kindly  relieved  him  of  the  chairmanship 
of  the  Ohio  conference. 

He  was  pleased  that  there  was  an  addition  of  nine- 
teen young  men  to  the  itinerant  ranks,  but  he  also 
censured  severely  the  spirit  which  prevailed  upon 
eight  others  to  locate.  One  conference,  however, 
was  free  from  this  evil;  none  of  its  members  located. 

After  the  conferences  were  over,  the  two  bishops, 
Seybert  and  Long,  divided  the  work  into  two  Epis- 
copal districts,  Bishop  Long  taking  the  two  eastern, 
and  Bishop  Seybert  the  two  western  conferences. 


Varied  Experiences. 


255 


They  separated  May  16th,  1844,  with  mutual  wishes 
of  success  and  many  expressions  of  affection. 

There  was  a  great  contrast  between  these  two  men. 
One  supplied  indeed,  what  the  other  lacked.  Both 
were  perhaps  equally  pious,  but  Long,  though  less  is 
known  of  him,  was  the  greater  preacher.  Seybert 
was  practical  and  spiritual  in  his  preaching;  Long 
was  profound,  and  overwhelmingly  powerful.  When 
once  Bishop  Long  was  fully  launched  in  his  discourse, 
he  swept  his  congregations  along  like  a  veritable 
cyclone.  There  was  the  element  of  majesty  in  his 
preaching,  and  few  equalled  him  in  the  force  and 
eloquence  of  his  delivery.  Seybert  was  a  son  of  con- 
solation; Long  a  son  of  thunder.  Seybert  had  the 
advantage  in  the  geniality  of  his  disposition;  Long 
being-  often  morose  and  sometimes  even  acrid  in  his 

o 

demeanor.  The  two  bishops  were  mutual  friends, 
entertaining  sentiments  of  affection  and  profound 
respect  for  each  other.  The  thought  of  jealousy 
never  found  any  room  in  them.  Each  believed 
thoroughly  in  the  other's  sincerity,  and  they  mutually 
confided  in  each  other's  judgment  in  matters  of  ad- 
ministration. The  Church  was  safe  in  the  hands  of 
two  such  men. 

Immediately  after  General  conference,  Bishop  Sey- 
bert started  on  an  extensive  preaching  tour.  In 
Stark  county,  Ohio,  he  attended  a  "big  meeting"  in 
a  new,  unfinished  meeting-house,  which  to  his  know- 
ledge  was  the  first  of  our  churches  in  Ohio  to  be 
ornamented  with  a  tower.  On  one  occasion  during 
this  meeting  he  preached  in  such  power  and  with 


256  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


such  eloquence,  that  he  was  unable  to  finish  his  ser- 
mon, for  the  tumultuous  out-bursts  of  holy  enthusiasm 
and  joy  in  the  audience  quite  drowned  the  preacher's 
voice,  and  he  was  obliged  to  "sit  down  in  a  storm". 

After  traveling  extensively  through  Ohio,  he  went 
back  to  Pennsylvania,  through.  New  York,  preaching, 
of  course,  as  he  went.  In  February,  one  day,  he  and 
Bishop  Long  together  visited  the  grave  of  Jacob 
Albright,  the  venerated  founder  of  the  Evangelical 
Association,  which  filled  these  great  spirits  with  pro- 
found emotions.  It  would  be  wTorth  something  to 
prosterity,  to  have  a  picture  of  that  scene  and  know 
what  were  their  thoughts  and  conversation. 

Samuel  Baumgardner  accompanied  Seybert  west- 
ward, and  in  eight  days  they  rode  a  distance  of  three 
hundred  and  eighty  miles,  which  brought  him  to 
Des  Plaines  circuit,  Illinois.  This  was  a  difficult  trip. 
It  rained  a  great  part  of  the  time,  and  high  winds 
prevailed.  On  account  of  freshets,  broken  bridges, 
driftwood,  the  debris  of  demolished  houses  and  barns, 
and  the  trunks  of  fallen  trees  in  some  places  filling 
the  roads  so  as  to  make  them  almost  impassable, 
traveling  was  both  perilous  and  wearying.  At  the 
same  time  he  was  also  weakened  by  rheumatic  and 
neuralgic  pains,  so  that  he  greatly  felt  the  need  of 
rest;  nevertheless,  he  averaged  47  miles  per  day,  and 
preached  during  the  next  two  days,  being  Pentecost, 
in  Chicago,  Des  Plaines  and  Dutchman's  Point,  and 
"had  glorious  times". 

Afterwards  he  attended  a  camp-meeting  near 
Wheeling,  Cook  Co.,  111.,   where   fifty-two  families 


Varied  Experiences. 


257 


tented.  At  this  meeting  at  one  time,  the  slain  of  the 
Lord,  who  were  on  their  knees  and  on  their  faces 
crying  for  mercy,  were  no  less  than  thirty,  most  of 
whom  obtained  pardon  before  they  ceased  to  pray. 

There  had  been  some  fears,  that  on  account  of  the 
heavy  rains  and  the  freshets  the  friends  would  not 
be  able  to  come  together  with  their  tents.  However, 
in  the  over-ruling  providence  of  God,  a  cool  wind 
soon  began  to  sweep  over  the  land,  that  scattered 
the  clouds  and  dried  somewhat  the  freshets,  so  that 
on  the  day  of  meeting  the  tents  could  be  promptly 
pitched,  and  not  a  single  sermon  or  prayer-meeting 
was  hindered  by  rain.  Immediately,  however,  after 
the  close  of  the  meeting  there  occurred  such  terrific 
torrents  of  rain  that  the  inhabitants  declared  it  unpre- 
cedented. 

At  a  point  called  Long  Grove,  six  miles  west  of 
Wheeling,  our  people  had  succeeded,  by  means  of  the 
truth,  in  gaining  a  solid  foot-hold  among  the  Ger- 
mans. A  few  had  already  been  converted.  But  the 
false  teachers  and  their  followers  became  excited  and 
embittered,  and  gave  vent  to  their  anger  and  malice 
by  scoffing,  railing,  blaspheming  and  lying  against 
God's  people  and  His  work.  They  spared  no  pains 
to  hinder  the  progress  of  the  truth,  even  persecuting 
the  dead.  The  Bishop  says:  "Certainly  this  is  the 
place  to  look  for  religious  zealots.  The  antiquated 
slanderous  inventions  that  the  sainted  Jacob  Albright 
had  been  a  horse-thief  and  the  like,  have  emigrated 
westward  and  have  been  industriously  circulated  here. 
But  when  one  ol  their  orthodox  (?)  preachers  commits 
17 


258  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


adultery,  or  gets  drunk,  or  cuts  up  other  capers,  he  is 
quickly  forgiven.  I  rather  suspect  if  these  faithful 
watchmeii  (?)  had  lived  thirty  or  forty  years  ago  in 
Pennsylvania,  no  horse-thief  would  have  been  allowed 
freely  to  preach  in  churches,  school-houses,  govern- 
ment buildings  and  market-places,  in  cities  and 
villages,  and  in  the  forests,  to  thronging  thousands, 
until  the  holy  fire  of  God  had  set  half  the  United 
States  in  a  blaze  of  religious  fervor, — until  the  work 
of  the  hated  Albright  and  his  Church  had  gained 
such  a  foot  hold  that  the  devil  with  all  his  brood  of 
hell  could  never  put  it  down  again.  Yes,  these  brave 
watchmen  (?)  would  have  promptly  imprisoned  or 
murdered  Albright  and  nipped  the  movement  in  the 
bud,  had  they  actually  believed  their  own  statements 
concerning  him.  O  ye  shameless,  disgraceful  false- 
hood peddlers  ( Luegenkrcemer ) ,  who  show  that  you 
are  children  of  the  devil  by  the  fact  that  ye  love 
falsehood  rather  than  truth,  be  ashamed  of  yourselves! 
And  be  converted  from  the  old  father  of  lies  to  the 
true  and  living  God,  before  you  receive  your  portion 
with  all  liars,  hypocrites  and  unbelievers,  where 
the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  forever  and 
ever. 

"  Notwithstanding  all  their  efforts  to  the  contrary, 
these  beautiful  groves  with  their  wealth  of  flowers, 
and  their  grassy  slopes,  shall  no  longer  belong  to  the 
father  of  lies,  but  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  whom  belong 
the  riches  of  the  Gentiles.  Let  these  groves  and 
prairies  be  consecrated  unto  Him,  for  the  truth  has 
already  triumphed." 


Varied  Experiences. 


Thence  he  crossed  the  Mississippi  into  Iowa,  and 
across  the  Wisconsin  river,  where  many  Indians  were 
still  living.  The  German  settlers  whom  he  found  on 
the  outskirts  of  civilization,  "where  twilight  struggles 
with  gloom",  were  morally  in  a  deplorable  condition. 
Many  were  skeptical  and  nearly  all  extremely  wicked.. 
This  mission  is  a  very  difficult  held  of  labor  and 
involves  a  heavy  outlay  of  money. 

After  spending  seventeen  days  on  this  rough 
mission  field,  he  went  to  the  Milwaukee  mission, 
going  by  way  of  Madison,  Wisconsin.  The  trip 
was  very  hard,  as  the  streams  wrere  much  swollen, 
and  the  roads  frightfully  muddy.  Five  miles  west 
of  Milwaukee  he  dedicated  our  first  sanctuary  in  the 
State  of  Wisconsin.  The  boundaries  were  at  that 
time  extending  mightily  in  the  North-west,  and  the 
prospects  for  conversions  good.  Bishop  Seybert 
remained  in  this  vicinity  six  days,  and  then  traveled 
southward  to  Des  Plaines  circuit,  where  he  organized 
an  auxiliary  missionary  society,  on  which  occasion 
the  members,  despite  their  poverty  and  privations  in 
this  yet  untamed  wilderness,  subscribed  over  one 
hundred  dollars  for  the  holy  missionary  cause. 

At  Peoria  he  helped  in  a  protracted  meeting, 
which  was  "especially  lovely,  because  our  members 
and  the  German  Methodists  were  united  in  love, 
labored  and  shouted  and  wept  together,  glorifying 
God  by  their  unanimity." 

On  the  way  to  Peoria,  Seybert  also  found  entrance 
in  a  society  of  the  Amish  communion,  to  whom  he 
preached  from  Matt.  5:  1-12,  with  great  liberty.  He 


260  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


found  them  a  very  devout  and  attentive  congregation. 
Evidently  they  were  greatly  delighted  with  this  plain 
and  simple  messenger  of  grace,  for  they  strongly 
urged  him  to  tarry  among  them  for  a  time,  but  he 
was  obliged  to  hasten  on. 

He  finally  reached  Naperville,  111.,  again  in  Sep- 
tember. Here  he  was  much  refreshed  in  being 
permitted  to  spend  a  few  days  among  brethren  whom 
he  had  learned  to  know  years  ago  at  Warren,  and 
in  Schuylkill  and  Lancaster  counties,  Penn'a. 

During  this  year  an  unwarranted  attempt  was 
made  by  Rev.  L.  S.  Jacoby,  a  German  Methodist 
preacher,  to  smirch  the  fair  and  honorable  reputation 
of  our  honest  and  artless  Bishop,  by  writing  an  article 
for  the  "  Christliche  Apologete"  the  organ  of  the 
German  Methodists,  and  edited  by  Dr.  W.  Nast,  in 
which  he  charged  Bishop  Seybert  with  making  an 
unfair  attempt  to  rob  the  German  Methodist  preacher 
of  the  results  of  a  revival  near  Peoria,  111.  Jacoby 
charged  the  bishop  with  having  taken  advantage  of 
the  Methodist  pastor's  absence,  to  raise  his  "  Evan- 
gelical banner  "  and  seeking  to  draw  the  people  over 
into  his  own  Church.  To  sum  up  the  article  briefly, 
Seybert  was  charged  with  proselyting  in  a  surrepti- 
tious manner,  and  causing  a  sore  division  among  the 
people  there. 

The  publication  of  this  paper  caused  some  excite- 
ment and  uneasiness  among  the  membership  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  and  others  who  knew  Bishop 
Seybert.  The  universal  belief  was,  that  nothing  could 
be  farther  from  Seybert  than  such  conduct.  His 


Varied  Experiences. 


261 


ambition  was  to  "break  the  ice"  for  his  Church  in 
new  regions;  like  St.  Paul  he  was  loth  to  enter  into 
other  men's  labors,  or  build  on  another  man's  founda- 
tion. Upon  all  sides,  therefore,  it  was  clamorously 
demanded  that  the  Bishop  should  defend  himself  in 
the  public  prints  against  the  accusations  of  Jacoby. 
This  he  finally  did  in  a  straight-forward  account  of 
the  whole  affair,  through  the  columns  of  the  Christ- 
liche  Botschafter.  Previously,  however,  a  refutation 
appeared  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  L.  Heis,  who,  it  was 
alleged,  had  been  sent  as  Seybert's  tool  to  steal  the 
M.  E.  Society,  at  Peoria,  in  which  Jacoby's  misrepre- 
sentations were  indignantly  exposed.  Thereupon 
the  society  at  Peoria  itself  published  a  communication, 
fully  exonerating  Bishop  Seybert  from  the  base 
charges  made  by  Jacoby. 

Finally  the  Bishop,  who  had  intended  to  treat  the 
attack  with  the  contempt  of  silence,  yielded  to  the 
demand,  and  wrote  for  the  Botchafter  a  strong  article, 
in  which  he  plainly  showed  that  Jacoby  had  entirely 
misrepresented  the  matter.  The  three  independent 
statements  corroborated  each  other,  and  Jacoby's 
attack  was  so  completely  refuted,  that  nothing  was 
ever  heard  from  him  on  that  subject  thereafter. 
Bishop  Seybert  was  vindicated  and  his  innocence 
established. 

Seybert's  elevation  to  the  highest  office  in  the 
Church  did  not  put  him  above  doing  the  hardest 
and  humblest  service.  He  was  born  to  break  the 
way.  In  his  episcopal  journeys  he  not  only  visited 
the  churches  and  established  societies,  but  went  even 


262 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


beyond  the  circuits  of  the  preachers,  keenly  watching 
for  new  openings,  and  planting  the  Gospel  banner 
"in  the  regions  beyond."  This  was  his  occupation  in 
the  Spring  of  1845,  while  Bishop  Long  was  holding 
the  Pennsylvania  conferences.  For  the  first  time  in 
a  quarter  of  a  century  he  was  absent  from  the  session 
of  the  East  Pennsylvania  conference. 

He  also  presided  in  1845  at  the  first  session  of  the 
Illinois  conference.  This  conference  session  in  the 
"far  West"  (as  it  was  then  designated)  was  richly 
blessed.  It  had  seventeen  itinerants  and  a  number 
of  local  preachers.  The  conference  was  held  in 
Des  Plaines,  Cook  Co.  At  noon  of  the  fourth  day 
the  business  was  all  disposed  of.  The  examination 
of  the  preachers  closed  already  before  noon  of  the 
first  day,  for  there  were  no  charges  against  any;  no 
preacher  was  expelled,  nor  deposed  from  office,  nor 
put  back  on  probation,  nor  otherwise  punished. 
Neither  did  they  hear  any  one  say,  "I  want  to  stop 
itinerating,"  nor  complain  of  his  hard  appointment, 
Though  some  of  them  had  very  difficult  and  severely 
laborious  fields  of  labor,  yet  all  seemed  satisfied  and 
determined  to  work  together  in  love. 

The  Lord  seemed  to  look  with  special  favor  upon 
our  work  in  the  great  West,  for  the  boundaries 
extended  astonishingly  and  already  covered  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Iowa  and  Wisconsin.  Often  Bishop  Seybert 
used  to  wish,  that  before  he  was  called  home  he 
might  see  this  "hind-most,  untempered  wall  broken 
through ".  He  wanted  to  see  our  Church  out-step 
the  westward  march  of  the  formalist  teachers,  and  his 


Varied  Experiences. 


263 


desire  had  now  been  fulfilled.  He  said,  "we  are  now 
proclaiming  the  Gospel  beyond  the  ramparts  of  our 
principal  enemies,  and  our  'little  banner'  waves  on  the 
frontiers  of  civilization,  amid  the  tents  of  the  savages. 
It  is  not  likely  either,  that  the  wolves  in  sheep's  cloth- 
ing will  trouble  us  much  here,  for  the  pa)-  is  too  small. 
These  diletante  do  not  care  to  expose  themselves 
to  the  hardships  and  perils  of  this  waste  howling 
desert.  Besides,  the  call  for  them  is  not  so  urgent  as 
formerly.  Since  these  people  have  become  enlight- 
ened by  the  Gospel  and  see  that  the  men,  who  like 
the  apostles  of  Jesus,  volunteer  for  no  earthly  reward 
to  undergo  the  privations  of  life  among  frontier  sett- 
lers, are  best  calculated  to  do  them  good.  These 
settlers  in  their  primitive  huts  could  not  accommo- 
date the  clerical  aristocracy  to  satisfaction  at  any 
rate."  At  this  conference  session,  J.  J.  Esher,  he  says, 
was  received  into  the  itinerancy. 

After  the  session  of  the  Illinois  conference  Seybert 
tarried  several  days  longer  in  that  State,  and  then 
started  eastward. 

June  26th  he  reached  Indiana,  and  preached  on 
the  29th  at  South  Bend.  Upon  urgent  request  he 
spoke  in  the  Methodist  church  to  the  German  citizens. 
Here  he  also  became  acquainted  with  Captain  Price, 
the  celebrated  temperance  orator,  who,  by  his  great 
industry  and  extraordinary  energy,  had  extended  his 
influence  over  North  America,  England,  Scotland 
and  Ireland,  and  by  his  eloquence,  under  God's  bless- 
ing, had  persuaded  more  than  ninety  thousand  people 
to  sign  the  pledge  and  enlist  in  the  temperance  cause. 


264  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


The  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  church  at  South  Bend 
invited  Captain  Price  and  the  Bishop  to  dine  at  his 
house,  and  the  two  temperance  apostles  had  great 
pleasure  in  conversing  upon  the  temperance  cause  and 
the  work  of  the  Lord  generally. 

Captain  Price  was  greatly  interested  in  Bishop 
Seybert,  for  he  found  in  this  plain  and  disingenuous 
German  church  dignitary  a  warm  and  zealous  advo- 
cate of  total  abstinence.  For  the  Bishop  was  indeed 
a  noted  apostle  of  temperance,  and  frequently  delivered 
addresses  of  thrilling  interest  on  the  subject  to  his 
German  fellow-countrymen. 

Bishop  Seybert  next  went  to  Ann  Arbor  mission, 
in  Michigan,  where  more  than  fifteen  hundred  Ger- 
mans, mostly  foreign  immigrants,  lived  closely 
huddled  together.  He  spent  nearly  a  week  visiting 
the  sick  and  the  well,  together  a  large  number,  and 
preaching  daily.  The  people  were  hospitable  and 
received  the  servant  of  the  Lord  gladly.  Many 
attended  the  preaching  services,  among  them  a  num- 
ber of  Catholics,  upon  which  he  said:  "  If  therefore 
the  'Friend  of  Truth1  (a  German  Roman  Catholic 
newspaper)  should  feel  itself  prompted  again  to  ridi- 
cule 1  Bro.  Seybert's  melting  meetings  in  the  West', 
he  may  also  add  in  a  vein  of  seriousness,  that  some 
of  his  Catholic  brethren  have  actually  attended  some 
of  those  meetings,  and  have  themselves  been  wonder- 
fully melted,  and  it  appears  that  some  of  them  are  not 
far  from  the  Kingdom  of  heaven." 

On  July  31st  he  visited  Bishop  Long  at  his  home 
near  New  Lisbon,  Ohio.    Next  day,  after  they  had 


Varied  Experiences. 


265 


arranged  their  affairs,  they  again  parted  with  mutual 
good  wishes,  Long  going  to  the  West,  and  Seybert 
to  the  East. 

August  19th  he  crossed  the  Niagara  River  at  a 
point  three  miles  below  Buffalo,  and  landed  in  Upper 
Canada.  In  company  with  the  Presiding  Elder,  he 
visited  in  twenty  days  nearly  all  our  societies  there 
and  attended  several  ''big  meetings",  which  were 
blessed  with  awakenings  and  conversions.  At  Ham- 
burg a  sad  state  of  affairs  had  prevailed  a  few  years 
before  this.  The  people  were  wicked  beyond  meas- 
ure, and  no  wonder,  for  their  pastors  were  drunkards! 
But  since  the  truth  is  being  preached  in  power,  many 
vicious  characters,  and  also  formalists  have  been  con- 
verted. Our  society  had  erected  an  excellent  brick 
church,  which  was  to  be  dedicated  soon. 

The  people  were  quite  enthusiastic  in  their  admira- 
tion of  Bishop  Seybert.  They  had  never  seen  a 
bishop  before,  and  had  imagined  such  an  official  as 
being  a  very  exalted  and  extraordinary  personage, 
who  would  at  least  be  very  dignified  and  unapproach- 
able. How  agreeably  they  were  surprised  when 
their  eyes  fell  upon  the  slight,  nervous,  simply  clad 
form  of  Seybert,  and  they  were  told  "This  is  the 
bishop  1"  And  they  were  still  more  curious  to  know, 
how  a  man  so  tortured  with  rheumatism  could  en- 
dure such  protracted  journeys,  and  preach  with  such 
power. 

In  September  he  had  a  blessed  meeting  north  of 
Toronto,  in  a  Lutheran  church.  On  Sunday  they 
celebrated  Holy  Communion,  and  all  were  greatly 


266  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


blessed.  In  the  morning  he  preached  an  ordination 
sermon,  upon  which  Bro.  W.  Schmitt  was  ordained  as 
a  Deacon  in  our  Church.  On  Saturday  evening  he 
was  unable  to  be  present,  on  account  of  severe 
rheumatic  pains.  During  this  visit  he  also  preached 
for  the  Stony  Creek  society,  who  gave  him  quite  a 
sum  of  money  for  Pittsburgh  mission.  The  fact  that 
this  donation  was  unsolicited,  and  came  from  a  strange 
country,  and  that  from  a  people  who  have  a  debt  on 
their  own  church,  made  it  specially  praiseworthy  in 
his  estimation. 

In  October  he  reached  Albany,  the  capital  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  He  spent  three  days  with  this 
people,  and  preached  three  times  on  Sunday.  In  the 
evening  they  labored  with  penitents,  and  the  prayers 
of  the  saints  at  this  place,  in  behalf  of  seekers,  were, 
he  says,  "peculiarly  touching  and  impressive". 
Above  all,  there  were  several  Sunday-school  scholars 
here,  who  prayed  with  wonderful  pathos  for  the  con- 
version of  relatives  and  the  extension  of  the  Re- 
deemer's Kingdom,  which  moved  the  bishop  deeply. 

Apropos  to  the  surprise  of  the  citizens  of  Ham- 
burg, at  the  unpretentious  appearance  of  Bishop 
Seybert,  mentioned  in  this  chapter,  the  following 
similar  incident  occurred  in  no  less  a  place  than 
Cleveland,  Ohio: 

Bishop  Seybert  having  been  announced  to  preach, 
an  honest  German  informed  his  still  unconverted 
wife,  as  he  started  to  the  church,  that  he  intended  to 
bring  the  bishop  along  home  to  dinner.  The  good 
housewife  was  quite  amazed  at  the  idea,  but  reluc- 


/  aried  Experiences. 


267 


tantly  consented.  Accordingly  she  set  her  house  in 
order,  and  exhausted  her  culinary  art  to  prepare  a 
dinner,  which  she  thought  would  be  fit  for  a  bishop. 
She  even  called  in  a  neighbor  to  assist  her.  Finally 
the  dinner  hour  arrived,  and  with  fluttering:  heart  the 
poor  soul  awaited  the  arrival  of  her  husband  with 
their  distinguished  guest.  After  waiting  for  some 
time,  she  presently  espied  her  husband  coming  up 
the  street, — but  no  bishop!  A  poorly  clad  little  man, 
with  a  heavy,  broad  brimmed  hat,  leather  shoes, 
short,  round,  well  worn  coat,  ornamented  with  a 
heavy  row  of  large  brass  buttons,  was  walking  beside 
him.  On  seeing  this,  the  woman's  countenance  fell 
in  disappointment.  "Now  I've  gone  to  all  this  work 
and  trouble  for  nothing."  she  said;  "Instead  of  the 
bishop,  he's  got  nobody  but  some  common  old  man." 
Angrily  she  went  back  into  the  house,  not  knowing 
what  to  do.  Soon  the  party  arrived  and  went  into  the 
parlor.  Then  the  husband  went  out  to  his  wife,  who 
greeted  him  with:  "I  thought  you  were  going  to 
bring  Bishop  Seybert;  what  did  you  bring  this  fellow 
tor?"  "Why  it  is  the  bishop,  my  dear,"  was  the 
demure  reply.  "This  a  bishop?  This  is  no  bishop!" 
That  was  settled  with  her.  But  he  insisted.  She 
finally  put  the  dinner  on  the  table,  but  in  no  pleasant 
mood,  and  not  until  she  was  compelled  to,  did  she 
believe  that  her  guest  was  indeed  none  other  than  the 
famous  and  powerful  preacher,  whose  name  she  had 
so  often  heard.  If  she  had  known  his  character,  she 
would  have  prepared  a  plain,  common  dinner,  with- 
out much  ado. 


268  Life  mid  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


Seybert's  indifference  in  the  matter  of  clothes  was 
well  known.  With  him  clothes  were  for  protection, 
not  for  display.  It  is  probable,  however,  if  he  had 
not  been  a  homeless  bachelor  who  had  no  one  to 
look  after  his  wardrobe  but  himself,  he  would  have 
been  a  little  more  prim.  He  thought  nothing  of  a 
patch  on  the  knees  of  his  pantaloons,  or  on  the 
elbows  of  his  coat  sleeve.  Fortunately  for  him,  too, 
he  lived  in  an  age  in  which  this  sort  of  thing  did  not 
give  so  much  offense,  especially  as  the  Bishop  was 
otherwise  an  affable  and  entertaining  guest.  He  was 
much  more  concerned  to  have  on  his  soul  the  beauty 
of  holiness. 


Varied  Experiences. 


269 


CHAPTER  XII. 

VARIED  EXPERIENCES  CONTINUED. 

In  the  Spring  of  1846,  Bishop  Seybert  presided  at 
both  the  Pennsylvania  conferences,  was  present  at  the 
session  of  the  Ohio  conference  over  which  Bishop 
Long  presided,  and,  on  account  of  the  sickness  of 
Bishop  Long,  presided  for  him  at  the  Illinois  confer- 
ence. 

During  his  visit  among  the  churches  in  Wayne 
county,  in  Ohio,  Seybert  was  greatly  annoyed  by  a 
traveling  show  of  some  twenty  wagons.  He  ex- 
pressed his  disgust  that  the  people  of  this  country 
spend  their  time  and  their  money  to  witness  the 
barbarous  performances  of  such  outcasts  as  usually 
constitute  a  circus  troupe  or  a  theatrical  company. 
"  Such  practices,"  he  said,  "must  demoralize  society 
and  injure  public  morals.  Government  ought  to 
prohibit  these  worthless  and  indecent  exhibitions  as 
inimical  to  the  public  good."  — What  would  the  good 
Bishop  say  in  our  day,  when  many  church  members 
and  professors  of  religion,  both  old  and  young, 
patronize  these  circus  shows?  Surely  there  are 
better  ways  for  a  Christian  to  spend  his  time  and 
money. 

May  25th  (1846)  he  reached  Columbus,  Ohio, 
just  as  the  news  of  General  Zacharia  Taylor's  dicisive 
victory  at  Buena  Vista  in   the  Mexican  war  had 


270 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


arrived.  The  city  was  already  making"  preparations 
to  celebrate  the  victory.  All  the  bells  of  the  city 
rang.  This  would  have  been  all  right  in  itself,  the 
Bishop  thought,  but  it  was  only  the  signal  for  a  gen- 
eral and  excessively  dissipating  uproar.  As  night 
came  on,  the  carousal  began.  "  There  was  shooting 
of  fire-arms  and  sky-rockets;  there  was  drumming 
and  piping;  there  was  shouting  and  cheering;  there 
was  drinking  and  drunkenness,  which  turned  the 
festivities  into  a  disgraceful  fiasco.  A  great  bonfire 
was  kindled,  which  illuminated  the  city  and  burned  all 
night,  and  around  it  the  rabble  behaved  as  if  they 
were  imitating  the  barbaric  orgies  of  some  pagan  idol 
worship.  Instead  of  giving  God  the  glory  due  unto 
His  name,  for  the  good  fortune  which  attended  our 
arms  in  battle,  they  gave  the  honor  to  the  devil  in 
heathenish  disorder." 

Intending  to  return  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  per  canal, 
on  official  business  after  the  Illinois  conference  had 
been  held,  he  started  for  Cambridge,  but  reached  that 
place  too  late  for  the  boat.  He  was  therefore  obliged 
to  follow  along  the  tow-path.  The  tow-path  was 
rough,  besides  he  had  his  saddle-bags  to  carry,  so 
that  he  became  foot-sore  and  weary,  until  at  eleven 
o'clock  in  the  night  he  finally  overtook  the  boat. 
Rest  was  sweet  that  night.  Next  day  his  soul  was 
vexed  and  grieved  by  the  frivolous  conduct  of  the 
crew  and  passengers. 

At  Cincinnati  Bishop  Seybert  visited  Dr.  W.  Nast, 
the  editor  of  the  Apologete,  and  enjoyed  his  visit 
greatly  in  the  growing  metropolis  on  the  Ohio. 


Varied  Experiences. 


271 


From  Cincinnati  he  started  back  again  to  Mt. 
Carmel,  111.  On  the  way  he  was  accompanied  by 
Rev.  J.  Drometer  of  the  Illinois  conference,  who  was 
stationed  at  Mt.  Carmel.  From  June  27th  to  30th, 
three  days,  they  were  detained  in  the  vicinity  of 
Drometer's  home,  by  incessant  torrents  of  rain. 
Meanwhile  Drometer  became  dangerously  ill  with 
a  fever  that  threatened  his  life.  This  greatly  in- 
creased the  Bishop's  concern.  He  also  noticed  that 
the  family  were  very  sad  and  depressed.  On  visiting 
him  one  day,  the  Bishop  felt  a  mighty  inward  con- 
straint to  pray.  Accordingly  he  fell  upon  his  knees 
by  the  bed-side,  and  in  earnestness  and  simplicity 
besought  the  Lord  to  restore  the  sick  brother,  if  it 
were  in  accordance  with  His  will.  After  prayer 
Seybert  departed,  leaving  his  benediction  upon  the 
family.  Presently  Drometer  arose  from  his  bed,  and 
with  Seybert  resumed  the  journey  to  Mt.  Carmel, 
riding  thirty  miles  that  same  day.  He  was  thoroughly 
restored,  in  an  instant,  in  answer  to  prayer.  For  this 
bishop  Seybert  gave  glory  to  God. 

Arriving  at  Mt.  Carmel,  the  Bishop  and  the  mission- 
ary were  received  very  joyfully.  The  bells  were  rung 
and  the  people  invited  to  services.    It  was  July  4th. 

The  popular  manner  of  celebrating  the  birth-day  of 
the  Republic  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  Seybert. 
On  this  particular  day  he  was  specially  annoyed  at 
the  demonstrations  quite  early  in  the  day,  and  prompt- 
ly determined  for  once  to  show  the  world  how  God's 
servants  can  put  in  a  full  day  at  their  work  on  that 
day;  he  says: 


272  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


"The  ungodly  celebrated  that  day  with  gluttony, 
drinking,  swearing,  shooting,  and  howling,  besides 
other  Satanic  exercises,  I,  however,  was  on  my  feet 
betimes,  hastily  visited  nine  families  in  the  morning, 
shaved,  bathed,  greased  my  shoes,  and  put  on  clean 
clothes  and  rode  thirty  miles  the  same  day." 

Traveling  through  Illinois  in  company  with  Bro.  J. 
G.  Miller,  they  came  upon  a  number  of  our  members, 
living  in  Macon  Co.,  eight  miles  east  of  Decatur,  who 
had  come  from  York  Co.,  Pa.,  and  had  neither  seen 
nor  heard  an  Evangelical  preacher  for  seven  years. 
Their  joy  at  the  appearance  of  these  two  preachers 
among  them  is  more  easily  imagined  than  described. 
Miller  remained  with  them  to  preach  for  them  and 
their  neighbors,  and  Seybert  continued  on  his  way  to 
Peoria  circuit. 

On  this  tour  he  traveled  quite  extensively  through 
Illinois,  and  had  many  interesting  experiences.  At 
one  place  he  was  obliged  to  stay  all  night  in  a  very 
miserable  hut,  sleeping  on  a  buffalo  robe  on  the  floor. 
But  for  such  hardships  he  in  common  with  the 
pioneer  preachers  of  those  days  cared  little,  only  so 
that  they  found  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel. 

Near  Decatur  he  found  friends,  formerly  Pennsyl- 
vanians,  who  had  not  seen  an  Evangelical  preacher 
since  they  settled  there.  Their  joy  knew  no  bounds, 
when  Bishop  Seybert  unexpectedly  came  among 
them.  He  was  received  as  an  angel  from  heaven. 
He  remained  several  days  visiting  and  preaching. 
It  is  easy  to  imagine  that  he  also  must  have  enjoyed 
liis  labor  among  them.    On  departing  he  was  loaded 


Varied  Experiences,  273 


with  provender  for  his  horse  and  provision  for  him- 
self, and  one  of  the  brethren  rode  quite  a  distance 
with  him. 

At  Dr.  Nothwagel's  he  preached  to  a  congregation 
of  six  hearers,  with  much  pleasure.  Dr.  Nothwagel 
was  a  converted  drunkard,  who  had  been  delivered 
by  Divine  grace  from  the  appetite  for  liquor. 

September  5th  he  attended  a  two  day's  meeting 
with  Bro.  Blank  on  Racine  mission.  The  people 
were  very  attentive  to  the  Word,  and  a  number  came 
unsolicited  and  joined  our  Church.  "At  least  these 
were  certainly  not  deceived  nor  seduced  by  us,"  he 
adds. 

The  work  in  the  West  was  prospering  at  this  time. 
The  boundaries  of  the  Illinois  conference  had  been 
greatly  extended.  It  was  impossible  for  the  Presid- 
ing Elders  to  do  their  districts  justice.  After  stub- 
born resistance  a  firm  hold  had  been  gained  in  north- 
ern Indiana,  and  ,the  truth  began  to  triumph  in  many 
parts  of  the  great  West.  The  seed  that  was  sown  in 
tears  was  now  bringing  glorious  fruit.  The  missions 
had  been  so  extended  that  there  was  a  Jack  of 
preachers  to  supply  the  territory  properly.  The 
Evangelical  Association  had  carried  the  banner  of 
truth  forward  across  the  Wisconsin  River,  and  planted 
it  among  the  tents  of  the  red  man.  The  German 
settlements  were  open  beyond  Green  Bay. 

During  his  somewhat  protracted  stay  in  the  West, 
Bishop  Seybert  was  greatly  troubled  with  ague. 
After  the  fever  had   somewhat   subsided,    he  left 

Bloomington,  Iowa,  and  started  eastward  in  great 
18 


274  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

weakness.  He  traveled  a  distance  of  over  500  miles, 
through  disagreeable  weather  and  bad  roads,  cross- 
ing the  State  of  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michigan  and  Ohio, 
reaching  Greensburg,  Ohio,  near  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber. Here  he  found  a  protracted  meeting  in  prog- 
ress, which  was  blessed  with  conversions  and  revival- 

The  Bishop  stopped  at  Greensburg,  simply  because 
he  could  not  proceed  any  further,  and  left  again  as 
soon  as  he  could  walk,  notwithstanding  the  bad  state 
of  weather  which  prevailed  at  that  season  of  the  year. 
He  traveled  throughout  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
Ohio  conference,  and  despite  his  enfeebled  health 
and  the  bad  roads  and  stormy  weather,  he  attended 
five  special  or  protracted  meetings.  The  Bishop  was 
highly  pleased  with  the  missionary  zeal  manifested  by 
the  people  at  that  time,  and  commended  the  liberality 
with  which  they  supported  this  sacred  cause. 

On  a  cold  Winter  day,  during  one  of  his  horse-back 
trips  through  Ohio,  Seybert  fell  in  with  some  one 
hauling  a  weaver's  loom  on  a  sled.  Seybert  was  a 
man  of  sociable  habits,  and  was  always  interested  in 
artisans  and  the  laboring  classes  in  general,  and  at 
once  began  a  conversation.  A  few  direct  questions 
revealed  the  fact  that  the  man  was  a  constable,  who 
was  about  to  sell  the  loom,  which  had  been  attached 
by  law  to  pay  a  debt;  and  that  the  unfortunate 
weaver,  to  whom  the  loom  belonged,  was  a  poor  man 
with  a  large  family,  who  had  no  other  means  of  sup- 
port. On  inquiry  he  also  learned  the  amount  of  the 
debt.  The  fact  that  the  loom  was  the  man's  only 
means  of  securing  a  livelihood,  awakened  Seybert's 


Varied  Experiences, 


2/5 


sympathy,  and  he  exclaimed  with  earnestness,  "This 
is  hard!"  The  officer  remarked,  "  Well,  you  see,  as  a 
constable  I  must  do  it,  hard  as  it  is,  and  I  confess  it 
is  hard  for  me  to  perform  my  official  duties  in  cases 
of  this  kind."  After  a  brief  pause  the  Bishop  asked 
the  officer,  "Would  you  mind  taking  the  loom  back 
to  its  owner  again,  if  I  pay  you  the  amount  of  the 
debt?"  "I  will  gladly  do  it,"  replied  the  constable, 
"all  I  want  is  the  money  to  pay  the  debt."  Upon 
this  Seybert  reined  up  his  horse  and  ordered  a  "halt". 
"Turn",  said  he,  "go  with  me  and  we  will  bring  the 
man  his  loom.  I  will  pay  the  debt."  The  officer 
obeyed. 

As  they  came  up  to  the  house,  the  man,  his  wife 
and  the  children  all  came  out,  curious  to  know  what 
had  happened  that  the  constable  brought  the  loom 
back  again.  Seybert  spoke  up  at  once,  saying,  "I 
told  the  constable  it  is  too  hard  that  a  man  with  a 
family  should  lose  the  instrument  by  which  he  earned 
their  support,  and  concluded  I  would  pay  the  debt, 
and  give  you  back  your  loom."  While  saying  this 
he  had  alighted  from  his  horse  and  thrown  the  rein 
loosely  over  a  fence  post.  He  immediately  reached 
into  his  pocket  and  counted  out  the  exact  amount  to 
the  officer  of  the  law.  "You  may  write  me  a  receipt," 
he  said.  This  done  the  constable  rode  away.  The 
Bishop  stopped  to  speak  a  few  words  to  the  family, 
who  were  embarrassed  with  surprise  and  perplexity, 
and  stared  with  open  wonder  at  their  strange  and 
eccentric  benefactor.  They  wanted  to  know  who  he 
was.    "My  name  is  John  Seybert,"  he  modestly  re- 


276 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


plied.  On  their  inquiry  as  to  where  he  lived,  he  said, 
"My  native  place  is  Manheim,  Pennsylvania,  but  I 
am  a  traveling  preacher,  who  hardly  knows  that  he 
has  a  home  except  the  heavenly  home,  where  all  the 
saints  shall  rest  forever." 

He  then  gave  them  a  little  admonition,  briefly  tell- 
ing them  what  to  do  to  inherit  eternal  life,  and  then 
started  for  his  horse.  The  family,  however,  objected 
to  his  going,  put  his  horse  into  a  dilapidated  barn, 
gave  it  the  best  fodder  they  could  find,  and  prepared 
a  meal  for  their  guest.  The  interval  he  employed  in 
conversation  on  the  subject  of  religion,  and  the  weaver 
and  his  wife  were  both  much  affected.  The  weaver 
now  wanted  his  benefactor  to  preach  for  them. 
Seybert  hereupon  left  an  appointment  for  the  time 
when  he  expected  to  come  by  that  way  again. 

At  the  appointed  time  he  was  on  the  spot  and 
preached  in  the  weaver's  house,  to  a  large  number 
of  people  who  were  deeply  moved  by  the  Word. 
The  result  was,  that  the  weaver  and  his  family  were 
soon  converted  to  God,  and  henceforth  received  the 
preachers  of  the  Evangelical  Association  with  joy. 
A  work  of  grace  began  in  the  community  and  a  good 
class  was  organized  of  which  the  weaver  became  the 
class-leader,  and  a  church  was  afterwards  built.  He 
had  a  good  income,  lived  a  pious  life  with  his  family, 
was  useful  in  the  church  and  was  soon  enabled  to  pay 
back  the  money  again  which  Bro.  Seybert  had  given 
him.  Seybert  finally  accepted  the  principal,  but 
declined  the  interest.  This  was  characteristic.  In 
whatever  he  did,  he  had  in  view  the  salvation  of  souls 


Varied  Experiences. 


277 


and  the  interests  of  his  Church.  He  knew  how  to 
turn  circumstances  into  account  for  this  purpose. 

During  the  latter  part  of  1846,  he  labored  under 
great  bodily  weakness.  He  had  not  reached  his  aim 
at  all,  on  account  of  physical  infirmities,  having  trav- 
eled "only  four  thousand  seven  hundred  and.  five 
miles  and  preached  only  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven 
times". 

During  the  Winter  and  Spring  of  1847  ne  contin- 
ued to  endure  great  pain,  and  his  debility  was  a  great 
hindrance,  so  that  he  only  preached  nine  times  and 
traveled  a  hundred  and  fifty-eight  miles  in  April. 
"Lord"  he  exclaimed,  "do  make  me  well  again!  if  it 
be  Thy  will;  but  if  not,  give  me  grace  to  be  patient 
and  to  quietly  resign  myself  to  my  lot,  and  to  suffer 
according  to  Thy  righteous  will,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Thy  dear  Son.  Arnen." 

In  this  condition  he  held  the  Ohio  conference,  May 
1 2th,  and  afterwards,  in  spite  of  his  great  weakness, 
started  westward  to  attend  the  Illinois  conference. 
He  rode  through  Indiana  and  Michigan  to  Joliet,  111., 
through  terrible  roads.  On  the  way  he  had  repeated 
attacks  of  fever,  and  his  rheumatic  affection  was  also 
greatly  aggravated.  Most  men  would  have  suc- 
cumbed. But  Seybert  fought  his  way  through,  and 
reached  Naperville,  the  place  of  the  Illinois  confer- 
ence session,  one  day  before  the  conference  began. 
This  session;  was  a  blessed  one;  especially  were  the 
communion  and  ordination  services  accompanied  with 
visitations  of  Divine  power. 

On  this  great  journey  he  was  greatly  troubled  on 


278  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


account  of  a  lack  of  preachers,  which  he  anticipated. 
But  he  was  agreeably  disappointed,  as  a  number  of 
applicants  appeared,  and  the  wants  of  the  conference 
were  amply  supplied.  This  made  him  glad,  and  his 
anxiety  was  allayed.  He  says:  "But  a  few  years  ago 
we  had  a  single  mission  in  the  great  West,  and  now 
we  have  a  whole  conference  of  three  extensive 
Presiding  Elder  districts.  The  Lord  hath  done  this. 
Praise  Him!" 

During  the  Summer  of  '47  he  attended  two  camp- 
meetings  in  Illinois,  one  at  Wheeling,  the  other  at 
Naperville,  where  at  times  a  score  and  more  lay  at 
the  altar  of  prayer,  who  obtained  pardon  one  after 
another.  "Some  of  these  had  just  arrived,  fresh  from 
Germany,  and  had  been  warned  against  us  before 
coming,  by  their  relatives,  who  called  us  deceivers 
and  liars.  Notwithstanding  this,  they  came  to  the 
meetings  to  see  for  themselves,  were  convinced  that 
it  was  the  Lord's  work,  yielded,  were  converted,  and 
became  members  of  our  Church." 

At  Naperville  the  flower-decked  meadows  sur- 
rounding the  encampment,  the  dark  green  grove, 
hedged  in  as  holy  ground  by  a  beautiful  circle  of 
large  white  tents,  the  spiritual  singing,  the  touching 
pleadings  of  penitents,  altogether  stirred  his  soul  to 
its  depths  as  he  arrived.  The  scene  made  a  deep 
impression  on  his  mind.  There  was  beauty  and 
grandeur  of  nature  hallowed  by  the  influences  of 
heavenly  grace. 

After  these  meetings  the  bishop  started  for  the 
East.    The  eastern  people  began  to  charge  him  with 


Varied  Experiences. 


279 


unfairness,  and  thought  he  paid  more  attention  to  the 
West  than  to  the  East.  And  so  he  did.  But  he 
justified  himself  with  the  assertion  that  it  was  more 
needed  in  the  West.  In  the  East  the  work  went  on 
in  its  usual  manner,  as  there  was  no  lack  of  experi- 
enced men,  while  in  the  West  the  battle  was  much 
more  severe,  and  in  his  opinion  it  was  his  calling  to 
stand  where  the  fight  is  hottest.  This  could  not  be  gain- 
said. He  had  helped  to  storm  the  enemy's  castles 
in  Pennsylvania  and  planted  the  banner  on  the  most 
perilous  ramparts,  and  then  concluded  that  they  could 
help  themselves  without  him,  while  he  wanted  to  be 
among  the  pioneers  in  the  West.  As  the  line  of 
battle  and  conquest  moved  westward,  the  old  hero  on 
his  white  horse  rode  bravely  ahead,  and  kept  pace 
with  the  westward  sweep  of  the  star  of  empire.  In  his 
hand  he  brandished  no  gold-hilted  sword,  but  a  tried 
Damascus  blade,  the  two-edged  sword  of  the  Spirit, 
which  in  his  hand  was  never  allowed  to  rust  or  grow 
dull.  Small  of  stature,  and  quick  of  movement,  he 
rushed  hither  and  thither,  managing  a  longer  line  of 
battle  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mississippi  than  the 
greatest  general  ever  did,  his  keen  eye  always  detect- 
ing where  the  heaviest  fighting  was  needed,  his 
countenance  beaming  with  enthusiasm  and  holy 
courage,  and  his  voice  of  encouragement  ringing  out 
like  a  clarion,  thrilling  the  wavering  lines  with  the 
inspirations  of  hope  and  victory!  The  Church  could 
not  grow  indolent  while  a  man  of  such  fiery  enthusiasm 
and  indomitable  heroism  stood  at  the  head.  Where- 
ever  he  went,  fresh  courage  filled  the  hearts.  Like 


280  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


Bonaparte,  Seybert's  presence  was  worth  an  army, 
and  for  many  years  his  name  was  a  terror  to  the 
black  battalions  of  sin.  This  man  never  was  fully 
appreciated.  Had  he  lived  under  more  popular  sur- 
roundings, his  fame  would  rank  with  the  greatest  of 
his  generation. 

Leaving  Illinois  he  went  through  Indiana,  Michigan, 
Ohio  and  Pennsylvania,  visiting,  preaching  and  doing 
an  incredible  amount  of  work  in  a  very  short  time, 
and  reached  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  just  a  day  before  the 
General  conference  convened  at  that  place,  Septem- 
ber 29th,  1847.  This  body  elected  Seybert  to  the 
episcopacy  for  the  third  term.  He  made  the  follow- 
ing entry  in  his  journal:  "To-day,  October  22d,  1847, 
the  conferences  attended  to  the  election  of  General 
Superintendents  and  again  elected  two  for  the  four 
ensuing  years,  namely,  Joseph  Long  and  John 
Seybert.  Thus  this  to  me  unspeakable  important 
office  has  been  imposed  upon  me  again.  O  Lord, 
help!    O  Lord,  give  success!  Amen." 


I  ri  dories. 


281 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

VICTORIES. 

After  the  General  conference  in  the  Fall  of  1847, 
Bishop  Seybert  traveled  quite  extensively  through 
both  the  Pennsylvania  conferences,  and  "had  ofood 
times"  amoncr  his  eastern  friends,  witnessing  much 
shouting  and  rejoicing.  In  the  East  Pennsylvania, 
there  had  been  a  great  drought  all  Summer  and 
Autumn,  but  in  the  Winter  the  Lord  had  mercy,  and 
visited  this  part  of  our  Evangelical  Zion  with  a  graci- 
ous rain,  and  times  of  refreshing  came  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord.  There  were  many  conversions  and 
many  revivals  among  the  members.  Especially  had 
the  work  increased  in  Lancaster.  Lebanon  and  other 
counties,  in  the  cities  of  Reading.  Philadelphia. 
Orwigsburg,  Lebanon  and  Xew  York.  The  brethren 
had  also  pushed  into  new  regions  of  darkness;  the 
conference  lengthened  her  cord,  and  strengthened 
her  stakes,  and  widened  the  place  of  her  tent.  The 
conversions,  he  observed,  were  genuine,  which 
"enraged  the  devil  and  his  servants'".  This  was 
the  Ion  of  looked-for  result  of  twenty  years  of  faithful 
and  seemingly  useless  effort.  Ever  and  again  the 
Lord's  captains  were  repulsed,  but  at  last  their 
preaching  began  to  tell,  and  the  Lord  made  a  way 
for  His  truth. 


,  282  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


In  the  Spring  of  1848,  Seybert  held  the  two  Penn- 
sylvania conferences,  and  soon  after  started  for  the 
West.  His  health  was  good,  and  his  soul  was  full 
of  courage  to  "drive  the  work  of  the  Lord."  That 
was  a  suggestive  phrase  of  his,  thoroughly  character- 
istic of  the  man.  He  anticipated  much  pleasure  in 
soon  again  riding  through  the  green  groves  and  over 
the  broad  prairies  of  the  West,  decked  with  their 
unrivaled  wealth  and  beauty  of  flowers,  and  there  to 
sing  of  victory  in  the  humble  dwellings  of  the  saints. 
It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  Seybert  was  in  love  with 
the  West.  He  was  in  spirit,  enterprise  and  pluck  a 
western  man  by  nature. 

On  his  way  to  the  West  he  spent  forty  days  in 
Ohio,  and  attended  the  session  of  the  Ohio  con- 
ference. May  29th  he  reached  the  State  of  Michigan 
and  spent  Ascension  Day  on  Ann  Arbor  mission, 
preaching  three  times  on  that  day.  In  the  morning 
his  theme  was  "The  Incarnation  of  Christ  in  the 
Flesh";  in  the  afternoon  "The  Ascension",  and  in 
the  evening  "Christ's  Future  Coming  to  the  General 
Judgment".  He  says  it  was  a  blessed  day,  and  they 
realized  the  gentle  breathings  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
After  spending  seven  days  in  Michigan,  he  reached 
Mishawaka,  Indiana,  where  he  preached  the  closing 
sermon  of  a  protracted  meeting,  from  Matt.  7:13,  14. 
This  was  undoubtedly  a  remarkable  effort,  for  two 
souls  were  converted  during  the  sermon,  and  the 
demonstrations  of  the  congregation  were  so  great 
that  the  Bishop  was  obliged  to  cut  his  sermon  short 
and  sit  down,  unable  to  proceed. 


Victories. 


283 


At  Cold  Water,  Michigan,  he  chanced  to  be  pres- 
ent at  an  M.  E.  conference  session,  where  he  heard 
Bishop  Hamline  preach.  But  Seybert  remained  in- 
cognito, not  even  revealing  his  official  station  to  the 
preachers  with  whom  he  stayed  at  the  hotel. 

Pentecost  found  him  in  Cook  Co.,  111.,  at  a  camp- 
meeting.  The  Bishop  says  it  was  a  genuine  Pente- 
cost, as  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  was  poured  out  upon 
them.  Two  hundred  and  eighty-six  communicants 
participated  in  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
and  penitents  crowded  to  the  altar  in  throngs  and 
sought  and  found  pardon. 

Soon  afterwards,  the  conference  met  at  the  same 
place,  and  the  session  was  a  great  blessing  to  the 
community.  The  reports  showed  that  the  work  had 
increased  on  their  hands  during  the  year,  and  the 
membership  had  enlarged  considerably.  There  was 
also  a  goodly  number  of  young  recruits  to  the  itin- 
erant ranks,  which  pleased  the  bishop.  He  said,  if 
these  men  all  seek  the  equipment  from  above,  and 
continue  in  the  work,  they  can  be  a  great  blessing  to 
the  West. 

At  this  session  of  the  Illinois  conference,  the  first 
steps  were  taken  towards  sending  a  missionary  to 
Europe,  to  labor  among  the  Germans  in  the  father- 
land. Bishop  Seybert  was  appointed  as  a  steward  to 
receive  and  manage  the  moneys  that  should  be  con- 
tributed for  this  purpose. 

From  here,  after  attending  another  camp-meetingv 
he  went  to  Racine,  Wisconsin,  to  dedicate  a  new 
church  edifice.    This  was  an  occasion  of  joy  to  him, 


284  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


as  the  building  was  substantially  built  of  brick,  well 
arranged  and  commodious,  situated  in  a  large  and 
growing  city  of  the  great  Northwest,  and  the  work 
gave  promise  of  permanent  growth  and  success. 

October  13th  found  him  in  Indiana.  Here  some- 
where the  friends  had  erected  a  large  log  church, 
which  pleased  him.  Presumably  it  was  just  such  a 
plain,  unpretentious  structure  as  suited  him.  He  says, 
the  work  began  there  three  years  before.  Two  years 
before  conversions  took  place,  but  the  devil  rose  up 
in  wrath,  and  would  not  let  the  brethren  into  the 
school-house.  However,  a  society  of  three  classes 
was  formed,  and  they  built  the  log  church,  con- 
sequently they  were  no  longer  dependent  upon 
others.  Seybert  preached  to  them  from  Psalm  126, 
and  the  Lord  blessed  the  friends  so  powerfully 
that  some  of  them  wrere,  so  to  speak,  "spiritually 
drunken".  It  has  been  noticed,  that  he  often  took 
that  text  on  such  occasions,  when  he  intended  to 
pour  out  the  "best  of  the  wine".  In  connection  with 
this  text,  it  is  said,  he  seldom  used  a  hymn  from  the 
hymn-book  of  the  Church,  but  recited  from  memory, 
and  with  the  greatest  accuracy,  a  poetical  composition 
of  Schiller. 

In  the  Autumn  of  1848  he  attended  a  camp-meeting 
on  Dubois  circuit,  of  which  he  says:  "Our  people  at 
this  place  have  a  well  arranged  camp-ground,  with 
permanent  log  tents  and  preacher's  stand,  close  by 
the  church,  which  is  a  refuge  in  rainy  weather.  The 
whole  institution  stands  on  a  forty  acre  strip  of  wood- 
land, which  is  dedicated  to  Almighty  God  as  Church 


Victories. 


285 


property,  and  that  by  poor  German  people,  who  but 
recently  came  to  this  country.  Where  will  you  find 
a  similar  arrangement  among  our  well-to-do  Amer- 
ican brethren  ? — But  these  latter  need  more  for  their 
devotion  to  the  fashions  and  the  luxuries  of  the  day!' 

About  this  time  the  first  important  revival  took 
place  in  the  city  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  which  has  since 
become  the  official  headquarters  of  the  Church. 
We  had  the  privilege  a  few  years  ago  to  hear,  from 
the  lips  of  the  first  member  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation in  that  city,  the  story  of  its  small  beginnings. 
This  was  old  "Mother  Schnuerer",,  who  but  recently 
entered  into  rest. 

The  Schnuerers  had  been  converted  in  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  and  now  lived  by  the  lake  in  the  small  city 
of  Cleveland.  One  day  Mrs.  Schnuerer  saw  a  man 
riding  along  the  street  dressed  unmistakably  in 
the  garb  of  an  Evangelical  itinerant.  She  could 
hardly  believe  for  joy,  for  it  had  been  years  since 
they  had  seen  any  of  the  preachers  of  their  Church. 
Mrs.  Schnuerer  hailed  him,  and  asked  him  if  he  were 
not  a  preacher  of  the  Evangelical  Association.  He 
affirmed  that  he  was.  The  joy  was  mutual.  Arrange- 
ments were  promptly  made  to  have  preaching  at 
Schnuerers,  and  Cleveland  became  a  regular  appoint- 
ment of  one  of  the  pioneer  circuits  of  Ohio.  This 
was  in  1840,  and  the  preacher  was  either  A.  Stroh  or 
John  Holl,  who  traveled  on  Lake  circuit  that  year. 
For  an  account  of  this  beeinnine,  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred  to  Orwig's  "  History  of  the  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation", p.  310  et  seq.,  English  edition. 


286  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


February  2  2d,  1849,  Seybert  says:  "At  last  our 
desire  concerning  Cleveland  is  being  realized.  Dur- 
ing a  recent  protracted  meeting,  both  old  and  young 
were  converted.  Yesterday  I  preached  twice  there. 
It  was  a  profitable  day.  A  goodly  number  of  prom- 
ising people  have  been  converted  and  added  to  our 
number,  while  many  others  are  certainly  under  deep 
conviction.  It  has  long  been  our  wish  to  witness 
such  a  season  on  Cleveland  mission,  and  the  time  has 
come.  The  Lord  has  heard  our  prayers  and  sent  us 
help.    Blessed  be  His  holy  Name!" 

During  this  year  Bishop  Seybert  again  presided  at 
the  Ohio  and  Illinois  conferences.  From  the  session 
of  the  former  conference,  which  was  held  in  Emanuel 
church,  Pickaway  county,  he  proceeded  northward. 
After  spending  Pentecost,  and  having  a  real  Pente- 
cost at  Gideon  Falk's  in  Hancock  Co.  (probably  now 
Mt.  Cory),  he  went  by  way  of  Perrysburg,  Ohio,  and 
Adrian,  Michigan,  to  Ann  Arbor,  where  he  labored 
several  days,  preaching  and  visiting  from  house  to 
house.  The  work  there  was  prosperous,  and  a 
church  edifice  had  been  begun. 

The  Illinois  conference  met  June  20th  in  Naper- 
ville,  Illinois.  The  session  lasted  nine  days.  The 
religious  services  were  richly  blessed  and  largely 
attended. 

At  Freeport,  Illinois,  Seybert's  horse  ran  away  with 
the  wagon,  and  finally  leaped  over  a  heap  of  lumber, 
breaking  harness  and  conveyance,  to  the  great 
annoyance  of  the  Bishop.  He  naively  asks:  "Was 
this  of  the  devil,  or  did  it  simply  occur  accidentally?" 


Victories. 


287 


Towards  the  end  of  July  he  hastened  through 
Indiana,  Ohio,  Michigan,  Upper  Canada  and  New 
York,  to  Pennsylvania.  He  calls  attention  to  the  fact, 
that  though  he  was  nearly  a  broken  down  man  he 
was  yet  able  to  travel  through  cities  and  communities, 
where  the  cholera  and  other  epidemics  were  at  that 
time  raging  with  fatal  fury,  without  being  himself 
harmed,  and  could  preach  two  and  three  times  daily, 
as  necessity  might  require. 

On  this  trip  he  was  forced  at  one  place  in  Indiana, 
by  a  great  rain  and  flood,  to  stop  at  a  hotel.  This 
was  in  a  place  popularly  called  Centre  of  Hell. 

Its  real  name  was  Centre ville,  but  on  account  of  its 
wickedness  was  o-iven  this  suggestive  cognomen.  It 
was  Seybert's  custom,  if  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
hostler,  to  ride  directly  to  the  barn,  so  as  to  give  his 
personal  care  to  his  horse.  He  says:  "When  I 
reached  the  barn  I  found  myself  at  once  among  the 
Belialites.  They  were  on  the  hay-loft  in  large  groups, 
playing  cards  and  carousing  at  a  terrible  rate.  Then 
1  went  to  the  house  and  found  it  worse  yet.  Here 
they  were  engaged  in  worse  than  bestial  intoxication 
and  debauchery.  A  few  yards  from  the  hotel  was  a 
saloon,  in  which  a  Democratic  office  seeker  was 
haranguing  the  crowd.     Here  was 

"  Confusion  worse  confounded." 

It  was  the  Bishop's  judgment  that  this  ugly  cogno- 
men was  as  appropriate  as  could  well  be,  "for  here 
certainly  is  the  devil's  nest,  an  open  gate  of  hell.  The 
veritable  devil  lives  here." 

During  the  journey  described  above  the  Bishop 


288  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


lodged  with  a  family  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  with 
whom  he  had  already  been  acquainted  for  nearly 
thirty  years.  The  visit  was  the  occasion  of  mutual 
pleasure.  After  supper  and  family  worship  had  been 
concluded,  Seybert  united  in  matrimony  an  estimable 
pair  of  young  people  in  the  presence  of  the  family. 
The  evening  was  spent  in  earnest  religious  conversa- 
tion. "This",  says  the  Bishop,  "was  a  genuine 
Christian  wedding,  free  from  drunkenness,  gluttony 
and  carousal,  and  without  display,  frivolity  and 
extravagance  of  any  kind." 

After  he  had  traveled  through  part  of  the  New 
York  conference,  he  crossed  Niagara  and  invaded  the 
Queen's  dominions  again.  He  spent  some  days  at 
Stony  Creek,  preached  at  Puslinch  and  on  Black 
Creek  and  Home  circuits,  and  in  the  towns  of  Ham- 
burg, Waterloo  and  Berlin.  He  was  permitted  to 
see  the  work  of  the  Lord  prospering  in  all  these 
places,  and  witnessed  conversions  almost  every- 
where. In  one  of  his  meetings  on  Black  Creek,  the 
Bishop  had  among  his  auditors  a  Mennonite  bishop 
and  a  woman  ninety-five  years  old.  At  this  place  a 
glorious  work  of  grace  was  in  progress,  which  had 
begun  in  the  Sunday-school.  Afterwards  at  a  meet- 
ing in  Sodom  Bush  many  Mennonites  "broke  through 
into  spiritual  life",  and  joined  our  people  at  the  Lord's 
table.  They  had  to  suffer  derision  and  persecution, 
however,  from  the  unconverted.  The  Lord  was  with 
His  own.  The  converted  Mennonites  now  received 
the  Evangelical  preachers,  and  the  prospects  for  still 
greater  success  were  good.    The  Bishop  spent  three 


Victories.  289 

weeks  in  Canada.  At  his  meetings  in  Waterloo, 
Berlin  and  Hamburg,  the  people  came  to  the  services 
in  such  throngs  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  churches 
to  hold  them.  The  Bishop  had  great  pleasure  among^ 
the  plain  zealous  friends  there,  and  found  them  alive 
unto  good  works,  upright  in  life  and  "hating  the 
fashions".  He  gave  this  as  a  reason  for  expecting 
many  conversions. 

Then  he  returned  to  the  State  of  New  York,, 
preaching  at  Buffalo,  Lyons,  Rochester  and  Syracuse. 
At  Oswego,  where  we  had  no  church,  he  intended 
to  remain  till  next  day.  He  quickly  inquired 
after  the  Germans  of  the  place,  visited  them,  and 
preached  to  them  that  same  evening.  He  had  a 
good  meeting.  These  Germans  were  without  a 
preacher,  and  greatly  desired  our  preachers  to  come 
among  them.  The  Bishop  spent  sixty-three  days  in 
this  conference,  traveling  sixteen  hundred  miles,  and 
then  crossed  over  into  East  Pennsylvania,  the  scene 
of  his  early  labors,  sufferings  and  successes.  He  was 
much  pleased  to  find  a  spirit  of  enterprise  here,  which 
manifested  itself  in  building  church  edifices  and  sup- 
porting the  missionary  cause.  Learning  that  a  pro- 
ject was  on  foot  to  build  a  Memorial  church  at  the 
grave  of  the  sainted  Jacob  Albright  in  Lebanon  Co., 
Pa.,  Seybert  expressed  his  unqualified  approval.  It 
had  long  been  his  fervent  wish.  He  hoped  the 
enterprise  would  be  liberally  supported  by  the  friends 
near  and  far. 

In  that  unusually  benighted  vicinity  called  "  Devil's 
Hole  "  the  work  of  the  Lord  was  spreading.    At  this 
19 


290  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


place,  which  owed  its  ugly  name  to  its  ugly  character, 
a  church  was  built  soon  after  the  Bishop's  visit,  to 
which  then  eighbors,  not  belonging  to  the  society, 
contributed  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  dollars  a  piece. 
As  a  great  reformation  took  place,  the  name  of  the 
locality  was  then  changed  to  the  more  euphonious 
Lewistown  Valley. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  of  1849  he  recorded  the 
fact,  that  his  health  had  been  preserved,  while  thous- 
ands, less  exposed,  died  of  cholera,  fevers  and  other 
scourges.  On  the  whole,  he  traveled  five  thousand 
six  hundred  and  ninety  miles,  preached  about  three 
hundred  times,  besides  visiting  many  hundreds  of 
families,  praying  with  the  well  and  the  sick.  But  to 
the  Lord  he  gave  all  the  praise* 

The  year  1850  was  celebrated  in  the  Evangelical 
Association  as  a  year  of  jubilee,  it  being  the  comple- 
tion of  a  half  century  since  the  first  organization  of 
the  Church  by  Jacob  Albright.  Bishop  Seybert 
wrote  at  the  beginning  of  the  year:  "In  all  probability 
this  will  be  a  prosperous  year  in  our  Church.  I  am 
expecting  a  glorious  year  of  jubilee,  for  all  the  indi- 
cations are  favorable.  I  hope  it  will  bring  abundant 
fruit  to  our  little  Zion." 

Bishop  Seybert  celebrated  this  event  in  his  own 
peculiar  manner.  He  refused  to  receive  any  salary 
whatever,  and  absolutely  insisted  on  paying  all  his 
expenses  out  of  his  own  private  purse.  In  fact,  from 
that  time  he  never  accepted  traveling  expenses  at  all, 
and  would  not  have  accepted  his  salary,  had  he  not 
been  severely  censured  by  the  brethren  for  such  a 


Victories, 


291 


course.  They  insisted  he  should  receive  his  salary,, 
and  then,  if  he  desired,  he  might  dispose  of  it  for 
oenevolent  purposes,  according  to  his  own  judgment. 
i  his  advice  he  followed.  Though  he  accepted  his 
salary,  he  never  thereafter  used  any  of  it  for  private 
purposes,  but  devoted  it  all  to  the  funds  and  enter- 
prises of  the  Church,  paying  his  personal  expenditures 
out  of  his  own  private  purse.  He  thus  not  only 
preached  liberality,  but  practiced  it  on  a  truly  mag- 
nificent scale. 


292  Life  and  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

IN  PERILS  OFT. 

P 

In  1850  Seybert  had  to  hold  both  the  Pennsylvania 
conferences  and  the  New  York  conference.  On  his 
trip  to  the  New  York  conference  session  he  had 
much  pleasure  in  his  intercourse  with  the  friends,  who 
received  him  everywhere  as  an  angel  of  God,  es- 
pecially in  Clinton,  Centre  and  Lycoming  circuits, 
Penn'a.  On  his  way  he  made  numerous  calls  and 
preached  nearly  every  evening.  About  this  time  he 
began  to  ride  in  a  conveyance,  as  he  could  not  endure 
horseback  riding  any  longer.  His  conveyance,  how- 
ever, was  a  very  primitive  affair,  in  which  the  Bishops 
of  the  High  Church  of  England,  or  the  lordly  pre- 
lates of  the  Roman  Church  would  hardly  consent  to 
ride.  He  was  humble  and  economical  in  this  respect 
also.  His  rig  was  in  fact  only  an  old-fashioned,  rural 
one-horse  "dandy  wagon",  without  springs,  having  a 
broad  and  deep  seat,  upon  which  he  laid  a  sheep 
skin,  in  lieu  of  a  cushion.  He  always  carried  a  chest 
of  books  with  him,  and  the  inevitable  saddle-bag — 
a  double  leathern  pouch,  made  to  be  strapped  across 
the  saddle  when  riding  on  horse-back.  It  took  the 
place  of  the  modern  "grip  sack"  of  the  itinerant. 
With  this  out-fit  the  Bishop  started  northward  into 
the  State  of  New  York,  in  the  month  of  April.  Near 
Williamsport,  Pa.,  south  of  the  Alleghanies,  he  came 


In  Perils  Oft. 


293 


to  Lycoming  creek,  above  the  city,  a  swift  and 
powerful  stream,  large  enough  to  be  called  a  river. 
It  flows  down  from  the  Alleghany  mountains,  and 
hence  has  a  tremendous  fall,  besides  being  quite  deep 
and  wide.  Just  at  this  time  the  snows  were  melting 
on  the  mountains,  4causing  an  extensive  freshet. 

It  was  April  5th.  He  found  the  stream  reaching 
far  beyond  its  natural  channel,  and  saw  at  once  that 
great  care  would  be  necessary  in  crossing,  as  there 
was  no  bridge,  but  only  a  ford.  He  stopped,  sur- 
veyed the  wild  and  dangerous  scene,  and  thought  to 
himself,  "I  am  familiar  with  this  ford,  and  I  have 
often  crossed  it  at  flood  tide;  my  animal  is  a  good 
swimmer;  I  have  appointments  on  the  other  side  and 
must  hasten  on;  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  I  will  vent- 
ure in."  He  accordingly  drove  in.  He  soon  realized, 
however,  that  his  famous  swimmer  would  have  all  he 
could  do  to  get  its  rider  through.  He  headed  up 
stream,  and  for  a  while  made  good  headway.  But 
when  he  got  into  the  central  current,  the  flood  lifted 
his  conveyance  up,  and  forcing  it  down  stream,  upset 
it  finally,  and  spilled  out  bishop,  books  and  saddle- 
bags. This  greatly  hindered  the  horse  in  swimming, 
and  also  began  to  float  down  with  the  mad  current. 
But  for  this,  the  faithful  beast  would  have  landed 
everything  safely.  As  it  was,  horse,  conveyance, 
Bishop,  book-chest,  saddle-bags  and  all,  lay  scattered 
about  on  the  resistless  tide  of  the  river.  The  Bishop 
now  let  go  the  lines,  so'as  to  give  the  horse  all  the 
liberty  possible,  to  land  the  wagon  and  itself.  The 
horse  succeeded  after  a  brave  struggle.   Seybert  him- 


294  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


self  fought  the  flood,  swam  and  struggled  as  best  he 
could,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore  in  safety. 
Horse  and  bishop  reached  the  dry  ground  about  the 
same  time.  Some  men  who  were  near,  then  came  to 
his  assistance,  and  recovered  his  saddle-bags  and 
bookchest,  which  were  floating  rapidly  down  the  tide. 
His  loss  he  estimated  at  about  fifteen  dollars.  The 
current  volume  of  his  journal  also  fell  into  the  water, 
but  he  dried  its  soaked  leaves  again  and  used  it  for 
his  daily  entries  for  two  years  after  that.  Only  the 
last  few  pages  were  too  wrinkled  to  write  upon.  The 
book  still  shows  the  effect  of  this  adventure  in  every 
page.^ 

This  perilous  adventure  and  narrow  escape  had  the 
effect  to  make  him  far  less  venturesome  than  formerly. 
Until  that  time  he  had  scarcely  known  fear,  and  made 
many  dangerous  ventures  in  his  extensive  pioneer 
travels  through  the  wild  and  unimproved  regions  of 
the  new  continent.  But  after  this  he  frequently  hired 
conductors  and  guides  where  there  was  no  real 
danger. 

April  nth  he  reached  the  New  York  conference 
district,  and  called  a  halt  in  the  vicinity  of  Seneca 
Falls.  He  found  it  necessary  to  "rest  a  little",  but: 
as  usual  his  resting  was  done  by  visiting  numerous, 
families  through  the  day  and  preaching  at  night. 
This  is  what  he  called  "  resting",  or  ''having  a  vaca- 
tion", or  "recuperating  from  the  fatigue  of  a  journey". 

In  spite  of  perils  and  hardships  Bishop  Seybert 
reached  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  April  15th,  where  the 
session  of  the  conference  began  on  the  17th.  The 


In  Perils  Oft. 


295 


business  of  the  conference  was  transacted  with 
unusual  dispatch,  and  the  preaching  services  were 
instructive  and  powerful.  The  ordination  service 
was  exceedingly  impressive,  and  at  the  missionary 
meeting  on  Sunday  afternoon  the  friends  manifested 
special  liberality  in  the  good  cause.  In  the  British 
dominions  —  Upper  Canada  —  the  prospects  were 
reported  good,  and  the  conference  established 
another  mission  there.  The  missionary  zeal  was 
alive  and  the  Bishop  thought,  "so  long  as  we  are 
active  in  this,  there  is  hope  that  the  Lord's  work 
among  us  will  flourish,  as  well  in  the  established 
societies  as  in  the  mission  fields.  Should  we  lose 
the  missionary  spirit,  however,  there  must  necessarily 
be  retrogression  among  us  in  efforts  for  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the  world. " 

For  a  short  time  after  this  conference  session,  the 
Bishop  had  business  to  transact  in  New  York  in  the 
interests  of  the  "  Benevolent  Society  of  the  Evangel- 
ical Association".  Meanwhile  he  also  preached  here 
and  there,  especially  on  Lake  circuit,  where  he  says 
he  had  "good  times".  He  also  visited  many  sick, 
and  learned  that  "our  members  were  resigned  to 
their  lot,  and  satisfied,  whether  the  Lord  let  them  live 
or  die". 

After  his  special  business  affairs  had  been  adjusted 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  he  went  to  Canada,  where 
he  enjoyed  himself  hugely  and  felt  at  home.  He 
always  seemed  pleased  with  the  character  of  the 
work  in  the  Dominion,  and  this  time  praised  it  in 
his  journal  as  follows:  "  In  this  part  of  our  large  field 


296  Life  and  Labors  of  jfohn  Seybert. 


of  operations  there  exist  several  good  and  decidedly 
praiseworthy  features,  namely:  First.  A  thorough  and 
most  healthful  kind  of  conversions.  Second.  A  lively 
worship  in  Spirit  and  in  the  truth.  Third.  A  spirit  of 
self-denial  which  abhors  ungodly  pride  and  the 
worldly  fashions. 

On  his  return  from  Canada  Bro.  Seybert  crossed 
Niagara  at  Buffalo,  from  where,  in  company  with  a 
brother,  he  made  a  visit  to  a  settlement  or  colony 
of  Germans  who  were  known  as  the  "Inspired",  but 
who  called  their  organization  "Ebenezer".  This  soci- 
ety owned  eight  thousand  acres  of  land  six  miles 
south  of  Buffalo,  and  numbered  about  a  thousand 
members.  Within  a  space  of  three  miles  they  laid 
out  three  villages,  and  made  great  progress  during 
the  six  years  of  their  settlement  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  soil,  and  in  the  erection  of  mills  and  manufac- 
tories. They  also  built  a  large  meeting-house,  in 
which  their  teacher  or  prophet,  Mr.  Christian  Metz, 
preached  and  enforced  their  doctrines.  This  man' 
sometimes  became  'inspired'.  On  such  occasions  he 
employed  certain  scribes,  who  acted  as  his  amanuenses 
and  recorded  his  words.  His  utterances  at  such  times, 
served  as  the  rule  of  conduct  for  these  people  there- 
after, as  well  as  the  Holy  Scriptures.  This  'prophet', 
however,  seemed  to  Seybert  to  be  a  very  estimable 
man. 

These  people  led  a  temperate  life  in  eating  and 
drinking,  and  were  very  plain  in  their  dress.  The 
" devilish  pride"  and  fashionable  display  did  not  exist 
among  them,  neither  conformity  to  the  world,  there- 


In  Perils  Oft. 


297 


fore,  the  Bishop  remarked,  "they  do  not  suffer  from 
that  loss  of  time  and  sinful  extravagance  in  expendi- 
tures which  are  required  by  vanity.  They  also  prefer 
the  celibate  state  of  life,  and  lay  great  stress  upon 
virtue  and  continence".  The  genial  Bishop  wished 
them  God's  blessing. 

On  his  way  west  he  preached  extensively  in  Ohio.  ■ 
At  the  home  of  Bishop  Long  in  Columbiana  county 
he  waited  two  days,  which  he  considered  a  long  time, 
for  the  return  of  Long,  who  was  to  meet  him  there 
by  appointment.  The  two  bishops  appointed  Sep- 
tember 9th  for  the  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Missions 
at  Pittsburgh,  which  was  to  select  and  send  a  mission- 
ary to  Germany.  This  was  in  1850,  as  per  Seybert's 
journal. 

At  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  he  says: 

"Recently  a  'spiritual  guide'  (?)  here  re-christened 
a  child  which  our  missionary  had  already  baptized. 
On  this  occasion  he  also  let  loose  upon  us  as  the 
'deceivers'  and  'false  teachers'.  But  if  this  person 
wanted  to  re-baptize  all  the  children  that  have  been 
baptized  by  heretics  and  unconverted  ministers  — 
especially  by  such  as  teach  baptismal  regeneration, 
— he  will  have  his  hands  full  for  a  while.  How  can 
such  men  re-baptize  children,  who  pledge  themselves 
at  their  ordination  into  the  sacred  office,  to  follow 
and  defend  the  Augsburg  confession?  And  espe- 
cially where  children  have  heen  baptized  by  regularly 
ordained  ministers?  Does  not  the  Augsburg  confes- 
sion in  the  original  unchanged  edition  say,  in  the 
article  on  Baptism,  that  'all  re-baptizers  are  accursed'? 


298  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

According  to  that  dictum  this  man  is  accursed.  —  Or 
is  that  article  in  the  Augsburg  confession  a  heresy? 
But  they  now  want  to  justify  this  re-baptizer  by 
reporting  that  our  missionary  baptized  the  child  in 
question  in  his  own  name,  instead  of  the  name  of 
God.  Such  liars  and  lie-peddlers  ought  to  read  the 
Bible  diligently,  so  that  they  might  learn  into  what 
an  awful  place  all  liars  are  consigned;  perhaps  they 
would  then  be  persuaded  to  be  converted  to  God  and 
inherit  eternal  life — a  consummation  devoutly 'to  be 
wished  for." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  July  4th  he  "felt  a  most 
blessed  influence  from  the  world  of  light",  and  sud- 
denly had  a  great  enlightening  on  Rom.  13:12:  "The 
night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is  at  hand,  let  us  therefore 
cast  off  the  works  of  darkness,  and  let  us  put  on  the 
armour  of  light!"  He  felt  God's  gracious  presence 
early  and  had  a  blessed  day.  The  heat  was  great, 
and  he  was  now  traveling  in  real  pilgrim  fashion,  with 
the  staff  in  his  hand,  as  his  horse  was  lame;  but  it 
made  him  tired. 

Bishop  Seybert  was  now  in  his  sixtieth  year.  He 
says  of  himself:  "I  am  well  and  hearty,  and  still 
able  to  endure  hard  journeys,  and  to  preach  daily. 
If  necessary,  I  could  preach  three  and  even  four  times 
m  one  day,  a  thing  I  could  do  to-day.  But  I  am  ad- 
monished that  the  night  cometh  when  no  man  can 
work,  and  I  am  therefore  determined  to  help  all  I  can 
to  gather  sheaves  into  the  Lord's  garner  before  sun- 
set." Leaving  Michigan  he  turned  his  face  westward, 
and  went  through  Indiana  to  Illinois. 


In  Perils  Oft, 


299 


His  journey  through  Indiana  was  very  exhausting. 
In  the  northern  part  of  the  State  his  route  lay  through 
dense,  dark  and  extensive  forests,  where  the  roads 
were  bad,  but  the  spiritual  meetings  encouraged  him. 
These  gatherings  of  the  saints  were  to  him  like  so 
many  Elims  in  the  desert.  The  months  of  September 
and  October  he  spent  on  the  grassy  meads  and  in  the 
proves  of  Illinois  and  Wisconsin.  His  programme 
was  to  spend  the  Autumn  in  the  far  West;  Christmas 
lie  wanted  to  spend  in  Dayton,  Ohio.  From  Sep- 
tember 14th  to  1 6th  he  was  at  a  camp-meeting  at 
Naperville,  111.  The  meeting  was  blessed  with  great 
power  and  life,  with  convictions  and  conversions. 
The  sons  of  Belial  carried  on  a  terrible,  devilish  up- 
roar at  night  around  the  camp,  but,  says  Seybert, — 
"There  we  have  a  solid  foot-hold — let  Satan  rage!" 

He  found  a  state  of  universal  prosperity  on  the 
mission  fields  of  the  West.  On  Sauk  mission  there 
were  many  penitents  and  conversions  when  he  was 
there.  On  the  day  of  the  Jubilee  celebration  he 
attended  two  good  meetings,  and  the  benevolent  con- 
tributions on  that  day  were  liberal.  n  Stephenson 
Co.,  111.,  he  had  much  pleasure  among  old  friends, 
who  had  removed  thither  from  Pennsylvania.  In  the 
city  of  Freeport  arrangements  were  being  made  to 
build  a  house  of  worship.  The  Bishop  thought  it  was 
high  time,  as  the  many  Germans  there,  were  much  in 
need  of  a  place  in  which  to  worship  God  in  Spirit  and 
in  truth.  In  North  Grove,  Illinois,  he  helped  at  a 
meeting  held  in  a  hall  which  had  formerly  been  a 
sanctuary  of  Bacchus.    But  when  the  owner  and  his 


300  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


wife  were  converted,  they  dedicated  the  room  to  the 
service  of  God.  Thus  this  portal  of  hell  was  changed 
into  a  gate  of  Heaven. 

Towards  the  end  of  November  he  beean  to  turn 
his  face  eastward,  so  as  to  reach  Dayton,  Ohio,  by 
Christmas.  His  purpose  was  accomplished.  He 
spent  the  closing  days  of  1850  in  that  city.  In  his 
journal  entry  for  the  close  of  the  year,  which  is  dated 
Dayton,  O.,  he  says: 

"  In  this  year  I  have  received  much  good  from  the 
hand  of  the  Lord.  The  year  is  now  almost  gone, 
and  I  am  thankful  for  its  blessings.  Under  God's 
blessing  my  travels  have  been  as  follows:  In  Penn- 
sylvania, one  hundred  and  six  days;  in  New  York, 
fifty  days;  in  Ohio,  sixty  days;  in  Michigan,  eleven 
days;  in  Indiana,  thirty-four  days;  in  Illinois,  eighty- 
one  days;  in  Canada,  only  three  days;  in  Wisconsin, 
fourteen  days;  in  Maryland,  six  days;  total:  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five  days.  According  to  con- 
ference districts,  the  time  was  divided  as  follows: 
East  Penn.,  forty-six  days;  West  Penn.,  fifty-four 
days;  New  York,  fifty-one  days;  Ohio,  one  hundred 
and  one  days;  Illinois,  one  hundred  and  thirteen 
days.  Total,  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days.  My 
journey  was  five  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
nine  miles  long." 

Thus  the  restless  preacher  traveled  through  eight 
different  States  of  the  Union,  besides  Canada, — a  ter- 
ritory extending  from  the  Atlantic  coast  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi river,  in  one  year.  When  one  remembers 
that  he  seldom,  if  ever,  employed  the  swift  iron  horse, 


In  Perils  Oft. 


301 


but  only  a  private  conveyance,  and  even  part  of  the 
time  went  on  foot,  it  will  be  seen  what  a  herculean 
activity  Bishop  Seybert  manifested  in  his  sixtieth 
year.  It  appears  also  that  there  was  not  an  idle  day 
in  the  year.  Few  men  observe  such  system,  or  are 
able  to  give  such  accurate  account  of  themselves. 

January  8th,  1851,  Seybert  came  to  Columbus, 
Ohio.  As  he  wanted  to  stay  all  night,  he  inquired 
for  a  German  hotel,  where  he  could  stay -"all  night  in 
a  decent  manner".  He  was  shown  one,  to  which  he 
went,  supposing  he  had  found  a  decent  place. 
Hardly,  however,  had  his  horse  been  put  away,  be- 
fore he  discovered  that  he  had  made  a  mistake.  One 
of  the  servants,  intending  to  tell  the  stranger  good 
news,  said,  "  This  evening  we  have  a  ball  here!"  "So!" 
said  Seybert  with  a  sigh,  while  his  blue-gray  eyes 
opened  widely.  He  had  a  mind  not  to  stay  now,  but 
his  horse  was  already  unhitched,  and  it  was  getting 
dark. 

After  supper  he  started  off  to  take  a  stroll  through 
the  city.  But  at  leaving,  he  was  strongly  urged  to 
take  part  in  the  dance,  which  he  abruptly  refused, 
and  went  on.  He  soon  learned  that  the  German 
Methodists  had  a  protracted  meeting  in  progress  in 
the  city.  He  sought  their  place  of  assembling,  and 
entered  the  church,  softly  and  unnoticed,  where  the 
congregation  was  on  its  knees,  engaged  in  earnest 
prayer,  and  in  laboring  with  penitents.  Here  the  un- 
observed and  unrecognized  Bishop  felt  at  home.  The 
cry  of  penitents,  mingled  with  the  hearty  spiritual 
German  singing,  made  a  pleasing  impression  upon 


302  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


his  weary  mind.  It  was  to  him  the  house  of  God 
and  the  gate  of  heaven.  But  alas!  all  too  soon  for 
him  did  the  young  pastor  close  the  services.  It  was 
the  signal  for  the  distressed  Seybert  to  go  back  to 
his  hotel,  which  was  a  perfect  hell  to  him.  Unknown 
he  left  the  church  and  went  to  the  hotel,  where  the 
children  of  the  devil  were  assembled  in  large  numbers 
in  a  capacious  hall,  in  the  rear  of  the  building.  Their 
meeting  was  not  over  yet,  in  fact  it  was  just  fairly 
beginning.  They  were  just  getting  into  the  stream 
and  excitement  of  the  occasion.  The  Bishop  declares 
that  such  fearful  raging,  howling,  stamping  and 
carousing  he  had  never  heard  in  all  his  life — and  we 
know  that  he  had  seen  and  heard  much  in  those 
barbarous  days.  The  devilish  carousal  continued 
until  daylight.  In  vain  did  the  weary  prophet  try  to 
sleep.  He  says;  "  Here  I  was  in  hell,  in  which  we 
are  told  there  is  no  rest.  O  that  the  spiritual  advisers 
of  these  deluded  people  would  take  pains  to  put  an 
end  to  such  disorder!"  —  And  this  was  a  night  in  a 
"decent"  German  hotel  in  the  city  of  Columbus,  Ohio, 
in  1 85 1. 

Seybert  spent  the  Winter  and  Spring  of  '51  in 
Ohio.  From  Columbus  he  went  northward,  in  the 
midst  of  very  severe  weather,  and  reached  Mohican 
district  Feb.  1st.  Near  Big  Prairie,  Wayne  Co.,  he 
preached  at  a  place  where  the  friends  were  building  a 
new  church.  A  revival  broke  out  in  a  large  settlement 
of  European  Germans,  mostly  drunkards  and  Sab- 
bath-breakers. The  work  of  the  Evangelical  preach- 
ers had  resulted  in  changing  this  benighted  people 


In  Perils  Oft,  303 

into  a  company  of  true  children  of  God.  This  was 
what  afterwards  became  the  well-known  Hope  church, 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Sprengs.  The  establishment  of 
that  society  was  indeed  a  wonderful  work  of  grace, 
and  resulted  in  sending  out  no  less  than  four  ministers 
of  the  Gospel  in  later  years.  Bishop  Seybert,  when 
he  saw  the  grace  of  God  here,  was  glad.  He  remained 
several  days. 

The  dedication  of  this  church  in  March,  185 1,  as 
Seybert  records  it  in  his  journal,  was  a  memorable 
occasion.  There  was  great  rejoicing  among  the 
people  of  God,  and  many  sinners  were  converted. 
The  meeting  was  continued  several  days,  and,  as 
was  his  custom,  the  Bishop  organized  at  once  an 
auxiliary  missionary  society.  These,  in  fact  were 
notable  features  of  the  dedicatory  occasions  of  those 
times. 

After  the  session  of  the  Ohio  conference  in  May, 
Seybert  started  for  the  Illinois  conference,  taking  his 
route  through  Michigan  and  Indiana,  where,  on 
account  of  much  rain,  the  streams  were  everywhere 
swollen,  bridges  swept  away  and  the  roads  almost 
impassable.  In  Indiana,  however,  he  was  joined  by 
other  brethren,  who  also  were  going  to  conference. 
Their  company  greatly  alleviated  the  toil  of  the 
journey  for  the  sociable  and  friendly  Bishop.  June 
3d  they  reached,  Illinois,  and  enjoyed  rich  spiritual 
feasts  in  the  meetings  they  attended  in  Chicago, 
Des  Plaines,  Dutchman's  Point  and  other  places. 

Three  days  he  spent  in  the  vicinity  of  Wheeling. 
He  says:   "In  these  three  days  I  had  great  pleasure 


304  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

among  my  spiritual  sons  and  daughters.  I  visited 
above  thirty  families,  and  was  permitted  to  rejoice  in 
spirit  at  the  Christian  courage  and  pious  zeal  of  these 
my  spiritual  children,  whom  I  have  begotten  in  the 
Gospel.  God  gave  me  these  children  as  seals  to  my 
ministry  during  the  last  eighteen  years.  God  hath 
done  it, — and  love  receives  the  gift  devoutly.  To 
Him  be  all  the  praise." 

On  the  ninth  the  company  reached  a  camp-meeting 
at  Naperville,  which  was  blessed  with  notable  dis- 
plays of  Divine  saving  power.  Penitents  great  and 
small,  young  and  old  lay  at  the  altar  in  great  numbers, 
and  their  cries  for  mercy  continued  through  the  entire 
night. 

On  his  way  back  to  the  approaching  session  of  the 
General  conference,  Seybert  had  the  pleasure  of 
traveling  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  company 
with  his  colleague,  Bishop  Joseph  Long.  They  en- 
joyed themselves  greatly  in  the  religious  services 
they  attended.  As  usual,  however,  Seybert  took  a 
long,  round-about  way  to  his  destination.  Though 
he  started  in  Illinois,  and  the  conference  was  in  Ohio, 
he  went  all  the  way  to  the  cities  of  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia and  Reading,  and  attended  camp-meetings  in 
Pennsylvania  before  returning. 

Of  the  close  of  his  third  term  of  office  he  writes: 
"  I  am  happy,  healthy  and  of  good  courage  to  prose- 
cute the  work  of  the  Lord.  Still,  my  old  almost  broken- 
down  body  sometimes  becomes  very  faint  through 
these  long  journeys  in  the  great  heat.  I  am  also 
at  the  close  of  my  term  of  service  again.  General 


In  Perils  Oft, 


conference  is  at  the  door,  to  which  I  must  now 
hasten  westward." 

This  General  conference  met  in  the  old  stone 
church  at  Flat  Rock,  Seneca  Co.,  Ohio,  where 
Seybert's  body  found  its  last  resting  place  afterwards, 
and  now  awaits  the  glory  of  the  resurrection  morning. 

He  was  here  elected  to  his  fourth  term  as  bishop. 
This  was  but  another  occasion  of  humiliation  before 
God,  and  he  resolved  to  strive  still  to  become  more 
perfect  in  the  love  toward  God  and  his  fellow-men, 
and  to  dedicate  the  rest  of  his  life  entirely  to  the 
Lord. 

At  this  session  also  it  was  resolved  to  remove  the 
Publishing  House  of  the  Evangelical  Association 
from  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  it 
now  is,  as  soon  as  nine  thousand  dollars  should  be 
subscribed  for  such  purpose. 

John  Nieolai,  of  the  Ohio  conference,  was  appointed 
as  a  missionary  to  Germany. 

After  the  tenth  session  of  the  General  conference 
was  over,  Seybert  again  started  eastward. 

October  18th  and  19th  he  spent  in  Pittsburgh,  and 
was  greatly  edified  in  the  meetings  there.  He  says 
that  after  great  trials  and  severe  conflicts,  at  last  a 
better  time  had  come  there,  and  a  friendly  "star  of 
hope"  beamed  upon  our  work  in  that  important  city. 

During  the  Winter  of  1851  — 1852  there  were  many 
conversions  in  the  Pennsylvania  conferences,  and 
Bishop  Seybert  published  the  following  manifesto  in 
the  "Botsckafter": 

"My  retrospect  of  the  work  in  the  two  Pennsyl- 
20 


306  Life  and  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


vania  conferences  in  the  past  Winter  moves  me  to 
heart-felt  thankfulness  for  the  love  and  kindness 
which  the  dear  friends  have  shown  me.  But  I  would 
specially  remind  the  friends  in  the  East,  of  what  the 
Lord  has  done  during  the  last  conference  year,  in  the 
moral  elevation  and  spiritual  reformation  of  some  of 
the  most  benighted  regions.  Genuine  conversions 
have  taken  place  there  in  a  manner  that  is  not  often 
witnessed.  The  newly  converted,  however,  who,  at 
these  revivals,  have  found  the  priceless  pearl  of  a 
change  of  heart,  I  would  admonish,  as  an  humble  co- 
laborer  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  to  adopt  the  sen- 
timent of  the  holy  David:  1  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul,  and  let  all  that  is  within  me  bless  his  holy  name. 
Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his 
benefits.  Who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities,  who 
healeth  alf  thy  diseases',  etc.  I  beg  also,  that  you  die 
unto  self,  unto  the  world  and  unto  all  wickedness,  by 
exercising  Christian  self-denial,  by  daily  taking  up 
the  Cross,  and  following  the  Lord  Jesus  in  a  holy  life 
and  walk.  Yea,  that  you  may  wrestle  with  tears  and 
prayers,  with  all  the  heart,  until  you  are  purified  from 
all  sin,  delivered  from  all  evil,  fully  healed,  and  trans- 
formed by  divine  truth;  that  like  Enoch  of  old  you 
may  walk  with  God, 1  that  is,  lead  a  godly,  chaste, 
righteous  and  devoted  life  in  this  wicked  world. 

"But  this  is  a  strange  and  despised  doctrine  in  our 
enlightened  and  very  corrupt  age,  and  among  the 
thousands  of  new-style  converts.  To  become  free 
from  all  sin,  to  purify  one's  self,  'even  as  He  is  pure', 
and    then  to  be  enabled  to    live  without  sinning 


In  Perils  Oft. 


307 


(1  John  3:3,  9),  is  carrying  the  matter  entirely  too  far 
for  the  majority  of  our  modern  Christians.  They 
hope  to  get  to  heaven  without  this.  This  also  is  the 
cause  that  among  many  so-called  converted  people 
fruits  unto  holiness  appear  so  sparsely,  and  that  the 
church  swarms  with  such  miserable,  worldly  minded, 
backslidden  professors  of  religion.  These  people 
are  only  a  stumbling  block  to  the  world,  and  probably 
are  the  chief  cause  that  Deism,  Atheism,  Universalism 
and  other  damnable  isms  are  gaining  such  prevalence 
in  many  places. 

"It  is,  therefore,  in  my  opinion,  highly  necessary, 
that  all  faithful  teachers  and  disciples  of  Jesus,  who 
are  aware  of  this  destruction,  should  with  redoubled 
earnestness  emphasize  the  doctrines  of  growth  in 
grace  and  Christian  perfection. — But  let  them  also 
exemplify  and  demonstrate  these  doctrines  by  their 
own  life  and  conduct,  then  it  will  have  weight  when 
they  speak." 

After  the  session  of  the  East  Pennsylvania  confer- 
ence in  1852,  in  Pinegrove,  Pa.,  the  Bishop  delivered 
a  brilliant  temperance  address  in  the  evening,  and 
next  day  started  on  an  extensive  tour  over  bad 
roads.  He  first  went  to  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  on  business 
with  the  Publishing  House,  and  then  went  four  hun- 
dred miles  northward  to  Berlin,  Upper  Canada. 
This  was  a  laborious  trip.  The  weather  was  cold, 
stormy  and  inclement.  Great  hail  storms  occurred, 
and  immense  quantities  of  snow  and  rain  fell,  together 
making  the  roads  almost  impassable.  At  Lyons, 
New  York,  he  was  joined  by  several  ministerial 


308  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


brethren,  whose  company  relieved  greatly  the  fatigue 
of  the  journey.  The  New  York  conference  session 
was  held  in  Berlin,  Canada,  April  14th.  The  con- 
ference was  a  rich  spiritual  feast  for  preachers  and 
people.  The  religious  services  and  the  preaching 
were  accompanied  with  great  power  from  on  high. 

April  2 1  st  he  again  crossed  the  Niagara  by  means 
of  that  marvel  of  human  engineering  skill  and  enter- 
prise, the  Suspension  Bridge.  His  objective  point 
was  Bristol  (now  Marshallville),  Wayne  Co.,  O.,  where 
the  Ohio  conference  met  May  12th.  Seybert  reached 
Bristol  on  the  nth.  Bishop  Long  was  also  present, 
and  was  to  have  presided,  but  was  sick,  and  Seybert 
took  his  place.  The  conference  closed,  leaving  the 
sick  Bishop  behind.  Seybert  expressed  the  con- 
fidence that  the  Lord  would  restore  his  colleague 
again,  and  spare  him  to  long  usefulness  in  the  Church.. 

The  next  point  was  Naperville,  Illinois,  the  place 
where  the  Illinois  conference  was  to  meet.  The 
Bishop  calls  the  distance  five  hundred  miles,  which 
was  undoubtedly  the  case,  the  way  he  went.  On  the 
way  he  attended  two  glorious  camp-meetings,  the  one 
at  Elkhart,  Ind.,  the  other  at  Wheeling,  111.  Both 
were  seasons  of  power.  The  trip  was  otherwise  also 
pleasant  on  account  of  the  fine  Spring  weather  and 
good  roads. 

The  session  of  the  Illinois  conference  was  an  im- 
portant one.  There  was  much  business,  as  the 
Indiana  conference  had  to  be  formed.  The  business 
was  also  difficult  on  account  of  the  extensive  fields  of 
labor  that  had  to  be  supplied.    The  religious  services 


In  Perils  Oft. 


309 


were  also  richly  blessed  here.  As  the  church  proved 
too  small  for  the  congregation,  the  ordination  sermon 
was  preached  on  the  adjacent  camp-ground.  An 
immense  congregation  assembled,  and  listened  with 
devout  attention  to  the  sermon  of  the  Bishop.  As 
the  brethren  of  the  conference  separated  into  two 
conferences,  the  formal  parting  of  the  brethren  was 
signalized  by  the  celebration  of  the  Love  Feast,  at 
which  they  had  a  touching  time  and  a  precious  wait- 
ing before  the  Lord. 

July  7th,  1852.    "  To-day  I  am  sixty-one  years  old. 

O  Thou  eternal  and  marvellously  good  God! 
How  much  goodness  I  have  received  in  these  sixty- 
one  years  of  my  life!  Daily,  hourly,  yea  momenta- 
rily have  I  been  blessed  temporally  and  spiritually. 
Where  shall  I  get  the  feelings,  and  who  will  represent 
me  with  words  fit  to  praise  Thee,  O  God,  as  I  ought 
for  this!    Eternity  will  be  too  short." 

"  Come,  O  my  soul,  in  sacred  lays. 
And  sing  thy  great  Creator's  praise  : 
But  oh!  what  tongue  can  speak  His  fame  ? 
What  mortal  verse  can  reach  the  theme  ?  " 

In  July  the  Bishop  crossed  the  Mississippi,  and  spent 
ten  days  in  the  State  of  Iowa,  hunting  up  old  friends 
from  Pennsylvania,  preaching  in  new  communities 
and  prospecting  for  the  Church.  He  crossed  the 
"  Father  of  Waters"  at  Rock  Island,  and  visited  old 
members  in  Louisa  Co.,  held  a  quarterly  meeting 
west  of  Iowa  city,  and  preached  in  a  United  Brethren 
church  at  Lisbon,  Linn  Co.  Here,  he  says,  the  people 
were  so  happy  that  they  sang  aloud  while  on  the  way 


3io  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


home.  The  work  in  those  regions  was  at  that  time 
weak  as  yet,  the  appointments  few  and  far  between, 
and  the  hardships  of  travel  greatly  increased  by  the 
crossing  of  many  unbridged  streams.  But  the  pros- 
pects for  success  among  the  Germans  there  he  thought 
good,  as  immigration  to  this  large,  beautiful,  healthy 
and  wealthy  State  was  setting  in  very  strongly.  He 
wished,  however,  for  men  working  here  who  had  the 
spirit  of  love  for  men  in  a  sufficient  degree  to  adopt 
the  sentiment  of  Paul  when  he  said,  "I  could  wish  that 
myself  were  accursed  from  Christ  for  my  brethren, 
my  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh." 

After  ten  days  in  Iowa  he  took  a  tour  through 
southern  Wisconsin.  There  the  work  had  hard 
struggling  against  superstition  and  infidelity,  and 
was  also  opposed  by  those  who  claim  to  be  orthodox, 
but  live  in  wickedness  and  are  decidedly  the  enemies 
of  Christ's  disciples.  And  yet  the  work  had  made 
great  progress,  souls  were  saved  and  the  Lord  was 
glorified.  The  prospects  were  good  and  the  opportun- 
ities great,  but  means  and  men  were  wanting.  There 
also  the  harvest  was  great  and  the  laborers  were  few. 

July  30th  (1852)  he  reached  Sauk  City,  Wisconsin. 
Though  he  had  traveled  thirty-nine  miles  that  day, 
he  afterwards  walked  four  miles  to  a  prayer-meeting, 
talked  on  Luke  i8:i-83and  walked  three  miles  with  a 
brother  afterwards  to  stay  all  night.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Ragatz's  a  society  had  grown  up  very  rapidly. 
Seybert  himself  preached  there  in  1844,  before  there 
had  been  any  organization  whatever.  The  Germans 
were  without  preaching,  and  the  community  was  in 


In  Perils  Oft.  3 1 1 


great  darkness.  "But  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  brooded 
with  His  light-creating  influences  over  the  moral 
darkness,  the  brethren  labored  on  in  faith,  and  the 
people  became  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  conver- 
sion. In  1 85 1  a  fine  church  was  dedicated  there. 
In  1852  the  society  erected  a  parsonage,  though 
many  of  the  people  were  themselves  living  in  poor 
huts.  One  brother  deeded  six  acres  of  land  for  the 
purpose.  The  society  was  large  enough  to  be  divided 
into  five  classes." 

There  was  a  place,  however,  east  of  Wheeling, 
Illinois,  where  the  Church  had  not  been  so  prosperous 
and  fortunate.  True,  the  Lord  had  done  great 
things,  there,  but  Satan  sowed  tares.  The  seed  of 
dissension  was  planted  through  several  hypocritical 
members.  For  several  years  the  leaven  of  evil 
worked  on,  and  finally  resulted  in  a  permanent 
schism.  This  gave  another  denomination  opportun- 
ity to  reap,  and  they  sent  a  preacher  into  the  place, 
who  happened  to  be  one  who  had  formerly  been 
among  us,  but  had  recently  left  us.  This  man  sought 
to  gain  adherents  among  the  disaffected,  making 
matters  still  worse.  The  new  branch  attempted  to 
build  a  church  for  themselves,  but  also  got  a  quarrel- 
ing.—  Thus,  the  Bishop  concluded,  one  might  para- 
phrase the  Scripture,  "Behold,  how  terrible  it  is  when 
brethren  dwell  together  in  wrath.  It  is  not  like  the 
oil  that  ran  down  Aaron's  beard.  There  hath  the 
Lord  not  promised  the  blessing",  etc. 

November  23d,  Bishop  Seybert  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  imminent  peril.    He  was  riding  along,. 


312 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


it  seems,  somewhere  near  Springfield,  Ohio,  in  his 
" dandy  wagon"  and  with  his  faithful  horse;  his  broad 
rimmed  hat  was  pulled  down  over  his  eyes,  the  reins 
were  but  loosely  held,  and  he  was  quietly  musing 
as  the  old  gray  jogged  along.  "As  he  came  near 
Lake  Gundy,  a  teamster's  horses  ran  away  with 
a  wagon.  They  came  down  the  road  at  a  tearing 
rate,  maddened  by  fright,  and  bore  directly  down 
upon  Seybert.  The  wagon  caught  his  conveyance 
and  jerked  it  hither  and  thither,  and  his  horse  became 
frightened,  broke  loose  from  him  and  ran  off.  Seybert 
got  out  of  the  danger  in  a  manner  that  remained  a 
mystery  to  him.  His  hat,  of  course,  received  several 
holes,  but,  so  far  as  he  knew  he  escaped  without  the 
loss  of  a  drop  of  blood.  How  it  all  happened  he  did 
not  know.  His  conveyance  was  badly  damaged,  but 
that  was  soon  repaired.  Thus  the  Lord  preserved 
him  from  misfortune  in  the  midst  of  misfortune. 
Praise  to  His  faithfulness! 

From  early  in  the  Spring,  all  through  the  Summer 
and  Autumn  the  Bishop  had  labored  hard  in  the  great 
North-west.  He  now  felt  the  need  of  rest,  and  longed 
for  the  milder  climate  of  southern  Ohio.  On  his 
return  tour  through  northern  Illinois  and  Indiana,  he 
found  the  membership  generally,  earnestly  engaged 
in  working  out  their  salvation.  At  Evansville  he  was 
saddened,  because  the  work  had  to  be  suspended  on 
account  of  the  missionary's  sickness.  "O",  the  Bishop 
prayed,  "that  the  Lord  would  awaken  faithful  shep- 
herds and  teachers  and  send  them  to  reinforce  the 
young  and  weak  Indiana  conference."    In  Ohio  he 


In  Perils  Oft 


313 


found  conversion  going  on  everywhere.  But  on 
account  of  a  severe  cough  and  pain  in  the  chest, 
Seybert  was  scarcely  able  to  preach  at  all.  Decem- 
ber 2d  he  reached  the  home  of  Rev.  John  Dreisbach 
in  Pickaway  county,  about  five  miles  southeast  of 
Circleville,  where  he  "felt  at  home  and  intended  to 
recuperate  a  little." 

One  would  think  that  the  society  and  hospitality 
of  his  venerable  host  would  certainly  be  charming- 
enough  to  detain  him  several  weeks  at  least.  And 
what  a  privilege  it  would  have  been  to  hear  John 
Dreisbach,  the  first  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Church, 
and  the  first  to  receive  a  preacher's  license,  signed 
officially  by  Jacob  Albright  himself,  to  relate  to  his 
episcopal  guest  the  story  of  his  eventful  and  useful 
life.  What  memories  these  old  veterans  could  recall, 
—  what  thrilling  episodes,  what  pitched  battles,  what 
triumphs,  what  struggles  between  hope  and  fear! 
But  how  long  did  Seybert  tarry  and  rest?  One  whole 
night  and  part  of  two  days! — Then  he  went  on  again. 
On  the  first  evening  after  his  departure  he  was  not 
even  able  to  preach,  but  on  the  second  evening  he 
succeeded.  Day  and  night  he  hurried  on  with  a 
speed  that  would  have  done  credit  to  Jehu.  With 
him  the  " King's  business  required  haste".  He  trav- 
eled northward  via  Wooster  and  Lisbon  to  Cleve- 
land, and  then  via  Erie  to  Pittsburgh,  and  so  on. 
Before  December  was  over  he  had  distanced  two 
hundred  miles  and  preached  twelve  times. 

This  is  the  manner  in  which  Bishop  Seybert 
"rested".    It  would  be  no  calamity  if  men  of  his 


314  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

stamp  would  in  our  time  take  the  place  of  the  dili- 
tante  clergy  who  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  public  favor, 
whose  inspiration  is  popular  applause,  and  whose 
only  concern  is  to  get  large  salaries.  And  then  if  the 
congregation  will  once  in  a  while  donate  several 
thousand  dollars,  and  send  the  " overworked"  manu- 
script reader  abroad  for  the  Summer  months,  to  some 
fashionable  resort,  the  heart  of  such  pampered  idlers 
has  nothing  more  to  desire.  Their  "  cup  runneth 
over." 


Growing  Old, 


315 


CHAPTER  XV. 

GROWING  OLD. 

In  the  Spring  of  1853  Bishop  Seybert  held  the 
Pittsburgh  and  New  York  conferences.  The  latter 
met  in  Buffalo  N.  Y.  At  this  session  he  mentions  as 
something  remarkable  the  brief  period  occupied  by 
the  examination  of  the  members  of  the  conference. 
He  says  it  took  exactly  one  hundred  minutes — Seven 
minutes  for  Canaan  district,  six  for  Albany,  and  eighty- 
seven  for  Buffalo.  Whether  by  reason  of  more 
scrupulous  strictness  in  the  enforcement  of  discipline, 
or  more  frequent  aberrations  of  moral  or  official  conduct, 
we  cannot  say — but  investigations  were  more  frequent 
then,  it  would  appear,  than  now.  Certain  it  is  that  in 
those  days  examinations  were  by  no  means  a  mere 
formality. 

From  this  conference  session  the  Bishop  started  to 
fill  a  series  of  appointments  stretching  over  a  thou- 
sand miles  in  length.  These  appointments  were 
principally  in  New  York  and  Canada.  He  began 
May  1st,  and  June  19th  the  work  was  done.  After 
attending  several  protracted  meetings  in  the  cities 
of  Rome,  Albany  and  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  he  crossed 
Suspension  Bridge  and  invaded  Canada  June  8th. 
In  forty  days  he  filled  as  many  appointments.  This 
extended  beyond  the  limits  of  the  original  series. 
June  20th  he  attended  a  camp-meeting  near  Ham- 
burg, Canada,  which  was  one  of  the  best  he  ever 


316  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


saw.  There  were  from  twenty  to  forty  penitents  at 
the  altar  daily,  and  that  without  any  urging.  The 
communion  service  was  a  season  of  mighty  commo- 
tion. Four  hundred  and  seventy-nine  participated  in 
the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  July  ioth  and 
iith  he  dedicated  the  new  church  edifice  at  King's 
Bush.  Already  during  the  first  prayer  a  marvellous 
Divine  power  came  upon  the  congregation.  Sinners 
were  awakened  and  converted  at  this  church  dedica- 
tion. On  this  occasion  also  a  Sunday-school  Union 
was  organized.  "Thus",  says  Bishop  Seybert,  "we 
had  a  right  glorious  dedicatory  feast  in  our  plain 
house  of  worship  there  —  an  edifice  without  a  tower, 
without  a  bell,  and  without  debts,  erected  by  poor 
people.  To  God  alone  be  all  the  glory!" — These 
items  he  mentioned  in  his  journal  in  a  similar  tone 
wherever  it  occurred. 

The  last  three  months  of  the  year  he  spent  in  the 
East,  attending  camp-meetings,  church  dedications, 
protracted  meetings,  overseeing  the  work,  and  help- 
ing where  it  was  weak.  In  New  York  City,  Phila- 
delphia and  Baltimore  he  found  the  society  greatly 
improved.  But  it  is  suggestive  that  Bishop  Seybert 
always  reports  conversions,  while  accessions  or  in- 
crease in  popular  influence  is  seldom  mentioned.  In 
his  view  the  work  prospered  wherever  there  were 
conversions  going  on,  otherwise  not.  The  conversion 
of  sinners  was  with  him  the  Church's  reward  for  her 
effort  and  outlay.  And  in  the  nature  of  the  case, 
persons  in  those  days  seldom  joined  the  Evangelical 
Association  unless  they  were  soundly  converted. 


Growing  Old, 


317 


In  connection  with  his  visit  to  the  metropolis  that 
year,  the  Bishop  relates  that  a  certain  sister,  whose 
husband  drove  her  out  of  the  house  for  Jesus'  sake, 
took  refuge  with  a  neighbors  family  who  were  mem- 
bers of  our  Church.  At  the  same  time  an  incendiary 
had  set  fire  to  a  row  of  buildings  on  the  same  street. 
The  fire  approached  the  house  where  the  persecuted 
sister  was.  Upon  seeing  the  danger,  she  fell  upon  her 
knees  and  pleaded  most  earnestly  that  the  house  might 
be  protected  from  the  fury  of  the  advancing  flames. 
Instantly  the  wind  veered  to  the  north  and  drove  the 
fire  in  another  direction,  and  so  the  Lord  protected 
his  own.    The  house  was  saved. 

At  Baltimore  he  notes  that  "the  membership  was 
united  in  love,  which  is  always  the  case  where  it  goes 
well."  At  Baltimore  station  he  preached  a  mission- 
ary sermon,  and  the  contribution  amounted  to  one 
hundred  dollars.  He  says:  "Several  made  an 
offering  of  their  jewelry,  such  as  finger-rings  and 
other  ornaments,  for  the  good  cause." 

He  notes  the  fact  that  during  this  year  not  so  much 
was  accomplished  in  the  Eastern  conferences  as  in 
many  earlier  years.  What  the  reason  is  He  knows 
best,  who  knows  all  things. 

In  the  Spring  of  1854  Bishop  Seybert  presided  at 
the  East  Pennsylvania  conference,  and  was  also  pres- 
ent at  the  session  of  the  West  Pennsylvania  confer- 
ence.   Then  he  started  for  the  West. 

The  session  of  the  Ohio  conference  was  held  in 
Dayton,  and  was  a  tedious  one,  on  account  of  much 
business.    The  Indiana  conference  session  was  pleas- 


3 1 8  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 

ant,  and  the  business  was  dispatched  with  unusual 
rapidity.  But  there  was  a  lack  of  preachers.  It  was 
impossible  to  supply  all  the  fields  of  labor.  "The 
harvest  truly  is  great,  but  the  laborers  are  few." 
"True,"  says  Seybert,  "there  are  many  belly  servants 
and  hirelings;  but  these,  of  course,  gather  no  sheaves 
into  the  Lord's  garner  —  nothing,  only  money  into 
their  own  pockets. 

The  Illinois  conference  also  had  a  blessed  session. 
A  goodly  number  of  promising  young  men  were  re- 
ceived into  the  conference,  besides  several  expe- 
rienced men  from  the  East  Penna.  conference.  And 
yet  here  also  there  was  a  lack  of  preachers,  so  that 
the  work  could  not  be  sufficiently  manned. 

On  his  tour  through  the  mission-fields  in  Iowa  he 
had  enjoyable  hours,  especially  at  a  quarterly  meet- 
ing in  Linn  county.  There  the  Lord  manifested  him- 
self mightily,  and  many  tears,  both  of  joy  and  of  pen- 
itence, flowed  simultaneously,  as  seekers  were  con- 
verted happily  into  eternal  life.  He  says:  "  In  this 
new  region  our  friends  have  no  desire  as  yet  to  serve 
the  god  of  this  world  and  the  god  of  luxurious 
fashions.  Nor  can  they  spare  time  and  money  for 
this  extravagance.  They  are  much  more  inclined  to 
spare  the  little  they  have  for  the  service  of  the  God 
of  Heaven.  The  Lord  grant  that  it  may  always  re- 
main so!  Here  again  the  benefit  of  our  missionary 
institutions  is  manifest." 

July  28th  he  was  present  at  a  quarterly  meeting  in 
Freeport,  111.,  at  which  he  deplores  that  no  conver- 
sions occurred.    This  city  was  being  visited  with  the 


Growing  Old. 


319 


cholera,  but  "the  inhabitants  do  not  seem  to  be  con- 
cerned about  it.  The  spirit  of  speculation  is  too 
prevalent.  In  this  place  the  speculators  —  among 
whom  are  many  professors  of  religion  —  are  content 
to  let  the  children  of  God  have  Heaven  and  God,  if 
they  only  succeed  in  gaining  large  fortunes.  The 
lament  of  Jeremiah  is  confirmed  upon  them:  'Thou 
smitest  them,  but  they  feel  it  not;  Thou  tormentest 
them,  but  they  will  not  repent.  Their  face  is  like  a 
flint,  and  they  will  not  be  converted.'  These  fools 
will  some  day  lament  their  folly  with  the  rich  volupt- 
uary of  the  parable  in  Hell.  It  will  some  time  be 
said  to  them,  'Thou  fool!  this  night  thy  soul  shall  be 
required  of  thee,  and  whose  will  those  things  be  which 
thou  hast  gathered  ?' " 

In  the  vicinity  of  Freeport  the  Bishop  owned  a 
good  farm,  on  which  he  that  year  built  a  house,  which 
he  "dedicated"  in  September,  1854,  by  preaching  in 
it  a  dedicatory  sermon  from  Gen.  28:17:  "This  is 
none  other  than  the  house  of  God,  and  the  gate  of 
heaven."  What  a  suggestive  incident!  Here  this 
restless,  practically  homeless  itinerant  preacher,  dedi- 
cates the  house  he  built  as  a  private  residence,  to  the 
Lord.  It  contained  a  "prophet's  chamber",  where 
every  preacher  was  to  be  at  home.  The  tenant  was 
under  contract  to  entertain  God's  servants,  for  which 
the  Bishop  allowed  him  a  stipulated  consideration. 
In  this  way  Bishop  Seybert  exercised  the  virtue  of 
hospitality. 

During  1854  an  accusation  was  circulated  that  the 
Bishop  last  Spring,  in  a  private    conversation  in 


320  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


Centre  Co.,  Pa.,  had  expressed  himself  in  opposition 
to  High  schools  and  Colleges.  Upon  this  he  wrote  an 
article  in  self-defense,'  which,  however,  was  never 
published,  undoubtedly  because  he  never  put  it  into 
the  hands  of  the  editor.  It  was  not  his  custom  to 
concern  himself  greatly  about  the  stories  that  were 
forever  following  his  heels.  He  suffered  in  this  re- 
spect like  all  great  men.  There  are  everywhere  little 
puppets,  whose  life  consists  in  barking  at  the  heels  of 
greatness.  It  was  only  when  the  interests  of  God's 
cause  required,  that  he  ever  said  anything  at  all.  The 
following  was  found  among  his  documents,  and  was 
evidently  intended  for  the  public,  though  for  some 
reason  it  never  appeared: 

"  I  have  been  requested  by  several  ministerial 
brethren  to  defend  myself  against  the  accusation,  that 
I  had,  in  a  private  conversation,  spoken  unfavorably 
of  High  schools  and  culture,  and  that  in  a  certain 
sermon  I  had  not  dealt  fairly  with  the  subject.  I 
therefore  take  the  pen  in  self-defense: 

"  Neither  in  private  nor  public  have  I  ever  ex- 
pressed myself  against  higher  institutions  of  learning. 
I  am  not  opposed  to  good  schools.  Everybody 
must  know  that.  In  April  I  visited  and  preached 
among  our  friends  in  Centre  Co.,  Pa.,  and  some  of 
our  members  there  expressed  their  fears  and  anxieties 
on  account  of  the  fact  that  now  also  high  schools  are 
being  established  among  us,  especially  referring  to 
Union  Seminary,  New  Berlin,  Pa.  They  even 
thought  the  East  Penn'a  Conference  had  resolved  to 
form  a  theological    seminary,   where  consequently 


Growing  Old. 


321 


wicked  and  unconverted  men  would  receive  their 
equipment  for  the  ministry  among  us  also.  I  then 
explained,  as  best  I  could,  to  these  honest  souls,  what 
the  object  and  aim  of  the  New  Berlin  institution  was, 
and  assured  them  that  there  was  no  occasion  for 
alarm.  I  told  them  there  was  no  danger  that  we 
would  now  start  "preacher  manufactories"  after  the 
manner  of  the  carnally  minded  and  ungodly  churches 
and  sects,  where  thieves  and  robbers  without  con- 
version and  without  grace  can  become  ministers  of 
the  Gospel,  if  they  only  have  money  and  talents.  In 
spite  of  all,  some  declared  they  would  give  nothing 
towards  the  school;  upon  which  I  begged  them,  at 
least  not  to  do  anything  against  the  cause. 

"As  to  my  sermon  at  Millheim,  I  admit  that  it 
thundered  a  little  there.  I  went  through  swiftly  and 
sharply.  But  the  subject  on  that  occasion  was  not 
exactly  ungodly  high  schools  or  theological  training 
institutions,  but  rather  the  ordination  to  the  ministry. 
Some  overwise,  scornful  school  theologian  had  em- 
boldened himself  to  speak  disparagingly  of  the  sainted 
Jacob  Albright,  and  to  scandalize  the  so-called 
'Albrights',  by  ridiculing  our  ordination.  This  was 
too  much  for  me,  and  it  was  my  place  to  speak.  I 
therefore  went  through  the  matter  in  an  orthodox- 
manner,  which  I  suppose  aggravated  some  who  were 
present.  But  I  could  not  help  that.  The  truth  may 
contend  for  her  own  rights.  Among  other  things  I 
said  that  if  I  found  as  much  in  the  ceremony  of  ordi- 
nation as  these  fellows,  and  my  ordination  had  no 
better  basis  than  theirs,  I  would  have  myself  re- 
21 


322  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


ordained,  and  would  try  to  have  holy  hands  laid  upon 
me,  that  could  be  lifted  up  without  wrath  or  doubting." 

The  Bishop  praises  the  general  condition  of  the 
work  in  the  great  West.  He  traveled  two  thousand 
miles  there,  and  saw  and  heard  much  that  was  good. 
He  says,  however: 

"In  the  State  of  Wisconsin  we  have  it  to  do  with 
a  powerful  host  of  darkness,  which  has  a  centre  and 
two  wings.  The  centre  consists  of  Rationalists  and 
Infidels;  the  one  wing  of  popularity  Christians,  the 
other  of  superstitious  bigots.  As  against  the  truth 
and  the  Lord's  work,  these  all  blow  through  one 
horn,  and  unitedly  go  into  the  field  against  the  serv- 
ants of  God.  However,  in  spite  of  all  the  opposi- 
tion of  the  devil,  we  are  constantly  gaining  ground, 
and  have  already  brought  many  souls  to  Christ.  In 
Milwaukee  our  church  is  attended  by  a  multitude  of 
respectable  people,  and  the  star  of  hope  beams  more 
brightly  than  ever  there." 

The  first  two  months  of  1855  Bishop  Seybert  spent 
in  Ohio.  First  of  March  he  visited  Cleveland,  and 
then  started  eastward  to  his  old  field  of  labor  at  Erie 
and  Warren.  This  trip  he  made  per  pedes,  with  the 
"pilgrim's  staff".  The  weather  was  unusually  raw 
and  cold,  and  old  Boreas,  swept  down  from  Lake 
Erie  upon  the  itinerant  messenger  of  the  Cross  with 
savage  fury.  April  1st  he  reached  Buffalo,  where  he 
preached  and  visited.  In  good  time  he  arrived  at  the 
"Conrad  Settlement"  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  at  which 
place  the  New  York  conference  assembled  April  25th. 
His  trip  from  the  interior  of  Ohio  to  New  York  was 


Growing  Old, 


323 


hard  on  the  old  veteran.  The  weather  was  inclement 
and  rough,  and  the  roads  were  muddy. 

The  business  of  the  New  York  conference,  he  says, 
was  transacted  with  such  dispatch,  that  everything 
was  finished  Saturday  afternoon  at  three  o'clock.  He 
also  mentions  that  the  poor  membership  had  sup- 
ported their  ministers  so  well,  that,  when  the  pro  rata 
division  was  made,  every  man  had  his  full  disciplin- 
ary salary,  and  a  balance  of  eighty-four  dollars  was 
left  in  the  treasury.    This  the  Bishop  praised. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated  it  should  be  ex- 
plained, that  formerly  the  Discipline  fixed  the  amount 
of  salary  of  the  preachers,  both  married  and  single. 
The  disciplinary  amount  was  understood  to  be  the 
maximum  allowed,  and  not  the  minimum  tolerated. 
Every  preacher  had  to  report  all  the  money  received 
as  salary.  This  was  then  aggregated,  and  the  whole 
amount  divided  by  the  number  of  preachers;  the  re- 
sult was  the  average  salary,  and  that  was  what  each 
man  received.  It  frequently  occurred  that  they  re- 
ceived much  less  than  the  disciplinary  allowance. 
If,  however,  as  in  the  case  above,  the  average  was 
above  the  disciplinary  allowance,  the  amount  re- 
mained in  the  treasury  to  cover  future  deficiencies. 
In  this  way  the  matter  was  equalized.  The  good 
preacher  received  no  more  than  the  poor  one,  the 
faithful  had  to  suffer  for  the  unfaithfulness  and  in- 
competence of  others.  This  element  of  unfairness 
was  undoubtedly  one  reason  why  the  plan  was  abol- 
ished years  ago.  On  the  other  hand,  there  was  this 
element,  also  of  fitness,  that  the  wealthier  charges 


324  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


helped  the  poorer  ones.  However,  the  whole 
-arrangement  is  now  a  thing  of  the  past. 

May  20th  he  attended  the  Ohio  conference,  which 
met  at  Hope  church,  Wayne  Co.,  Ohio.  Bishop 
Long  presided,  and  Bishop  Seybert  did  not  arrive 
until  the  fifth  day  of  the  session.  May  30th  he  pre- 
sided at  the  Indiana  conference,  and  then  attended 
also  the  session  of  the  Illinois  conference;  at  which, 
however,  his  colleague  presided.  Then  he  made  a 
tour  through  northern  Illinois.  July  7th,  his  sixty- 
fourth  birth-day,  he  walked  quite  a  distance  through 
heat  and  dust  to  Freeport,  where  he  renewed  his  life- 
long resolution  to  serve  the  Lord  with  all  his  powers 
of  soul  and  body. 

Turning  eastward  again,  as  Autumn  approached, 
he  reached  Economy,  the  residence  of  his  aged 
mother,  September  1st.  But  he  only  stayed  two 
days  with  her,  and  then  hastened  on  to  the  General 
conference  which  was  to  meet  on  the  12th  at 
Lebanon,  Pa.  He  reached  this  point  a  couple  of 
days  before  the  General  conference  began. 

On  this  tour  from  the  extreme  West  to  the  East, 
Seybert  wrote  as  follows  concerning  a  camp-meeting 
which  he  attended  in  Sandusky  Co.,  Ohio:  "The 
Lord  wrought  mightily,  but  the  ungodly  raged  fear- 
fully. They  howled  worse  than  wild  animals.  So  it 
is.  When  the  Lord  works  powerfully,  the  devil  rages 
horribly.  Where  the  devil  and  the  world  remain 
quiet,  there  the  religion  of  Jesus  is  not  genuine,  nor 
the  preaching  of  the  Word  in  power.  Where  Jesus 
Christ,  Peter  and  John  are,  there  are  also  Herod, 


Or  owing  Old. 


325 


Pilate,  Caiaphas,  the  Pope,  Ceasar  and  the  devil, 
together  with  the  whole  serpent  brood  of  unbelievers, 
thieves,  liars,  swearers  and  murderers,  who  make 
common  cause  in  persecution." 

About  this  time  he  wrote  a  letter  to  a  young 
preacher  of  the  East  Pennsylvania  conference,  in 
which  he  says: 

"I  wish  you  the  blessing  from  above,  and  the  full 
equipment  for  your  work,  for  it  requires  a  great  deal 
in  order  to  perform  the  work  of  the  ministry  accord- 
ing to  the  will  and  order  of  God,  and  for  the  welfare 
of  the  Church  and  the  world.  Even  anions  converted 
preachers  there  is  in  our  day  far  too  great  a  lack  of 
Divine  power.  We  are  now  much  more  learned  and 
have  a  much  larger  vocabulary  of  words  than  our 
preachers  in  the  days  of  Albright  and  Walter,  but  we 
are  also  far  more  conformed  to  this  world  in  our 
preaching,  worship  and  entire  bearing.  This  is  the 
reason  that  we  have  already  everywhere  so  many 
members,  who  have  only  the  name  that  they  live, 
but  before  God  are  nothing-  but  a  carcass  of  stench. 
O  Lord,  look  in  mercy  down  upon  our  ministry,  and 
forbid  this  evil.  The  Lord  bless  thee  and  me  and 
all  the  brethren,  that  the  Evangelical  Association  be 
not  ruined  through  us!  There  is  certainly  danger 
threatening  her  from  this  direction;  let  no  one  doubt 

it." 

He  had  now  completed  sixteen  years  of  continuous 
service  in  the  highest  office  the  Church  has  to  give. 
The  reader  of  these  pages  will  not  doubt  this  service 
had  been  faithfully  rendered,  and    that   his  great 


326 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


interest  in  "our  little  Zion  ",  as  he  was  wont  to  call 
the  Evangelical  Association,  caused  him  to  devote 
himself  with  remarkable  self-denial  to  the  service  of 
the  Church  and  of  her  Lord. 

At  the  eleventh  General  conference,  in  Lebanon, 
Pa.,  Bishop  Seybert  was  elected  to  his  fifth  term 
as  a  Bishop  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  Septem- 
ber 24th,  1855.  Instead  of  this  making  him  vain,  it 
humbled  him  greatly.  It  is  safe  to  say,  he  could  have 
stepped  "down  and  out"  with  consummate  graceful- 
ness, and  without  the  least  feeling  of  injury.  The 
Gospel  ministry  itself  was  in  his  estimation  the  highest 
office  in  the  Church  and  in  the  world,  and,  whether 
in  the  regular  rank  and  file  of  the  itinerancy,  in  the 
Presiding  Eldership,  or  in  the  episcopacy,  he  was 
always  first  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  —  the  election 
to  these  positions  he  regarded  only  as  adding  certain 
administrative  duties  and  responsibilities  to  the  legiti- 
mate work  of  preaching,  which  he  also  faithfully  and 
punctually  performed  as  an  obedient  son  of  the 
Church. 

Soon  after  General  conference  Bishop  Seybert 
attended  a  church  dedication,  October  21st,  at 
Brownstown,  Pa.  This  house  was  dedicated  in  the 
proper  way,  for  several  sinners  were  converted  before 
the  services  closed.  At  Reamstown,  Pa.,  there  was 
another  church  dedication  November  4th.  The  meet- 
ing was  protracted  and  in  a  few  days  there  were  also 
conversions  in  the  new  house  of  worship.  At  this 
place,  he  says,  the  "sons  of  Belial"  behaved  barbar- 
ously in  the  night  time,  and  demolished  the  windows 


Growing  Old, 


of  the  new  church.  ''Here  one  can  see",  he  remarks, 
"what  the  devil  would  do  by  means  of  his  Cain's- 
trash,  if  he  could  break  his  chain,  and  if  the  Pope 
could  introduce  his  power  and  authority  into  our 
blessed  western  land.  As  long  as  no  conversions 
occurred,  all  was  well,  but  as  soon  as  the  Word 
became  effective,  persecution  began."  November 
24th  and  25th  he  attended  still  another  church-dedi- 
cation at  Eaton,  Pa.,  where  Rev.  S.  Neitz  —  that 
greatest  of  German  pulpit  orators  in  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  at  that  time  —  preached  the  dedicatory 
sermon.  Here  also  the  dedicatory  feast  was  sealed 
by  the  conversion  of  a  sinner  in  the  Sunday  evening 
service. 

In  Eastern  Pennsylvania  somewhere,  an  economical  * 
sister  handed  Seybert  $20  for  benevolent  purposes; 
but  she  did  not  want  her  name  published;  the  left 
hand  shall  not  know  what  the  right  hand  doth. 
Seybert  remarks  further:  "This  sister  is  a  good 
housekeeper,  and  does  not  waste  any  money  for 
vain  display  and  luxury.  If  she  were  addicted  to 
the  fashions  and  to  modern  extravagance  in  dress, 
like  many  of  our  so  called  sisters  in  the  Church  are 
nowadays,  (God  save  the  mark!)  she  would  have 
nothing  left  for  benevolent  purposes.  Worldliness 
makes  us  poor  in  benevolence."  —  [It  is  impossible  to 
give  an  adequate  translation  of  the  above.  The  zeal 
of  our  fathers  against  fashionable  dress,  and  their 
constant  reference  to  it  produce  a  peculiar,  idiomatic 
vocabulary  on  that  subject.  Bishop  Seybert  had  a 
number  of  untranslatable  words  on  this  subject  that 


328  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


he  used  with  a  peculiarly  unctuous  emphasis,  not 
unmixed  with  a  certain  tinge  of  satire.  Such  words  as 
"modeputz"  "Luxus"  "modesucht"  were  the  peculiar 
possession  of  these  plain  men.  Their  zeal  against 
fashionable  extavagance  has  gone  quite  out  of  fashion, 
and,  indeed,  has  not  been  followed  up  by  their  suc- 
cessors.   Hence  our  poverty  of  words  on  the  subject.] 

In  the  Spring  of  1856,  Bishop  Seybert  held  the 
East  and  Central  Pennsylvania  conferences.  At  the 
session  of  the  former  that  famous,  eccentric  and 
powerful  preacher,  Moses  Dissinger,  was  one  of  a 
class  of  eleven  who  were  ordained  deacons.  From 
there  he  went  to  the  session  of  the  West  Pennsyl- 
vania conference.  He  was  at  both  conferences 
unusually  brilliant  and  powerful  in  his  ordination 
sermons.  The  sermon  before  the  East  Pennsylvania 
conference  was  on  2  Tim.  2:15,  and  will  be  found  in 
its  proper  place,  or  so  much  of  it  as  has  been  pre- 
served. The  sermon  before  the  Central  Pennsylvania 
can  be  reported  only  in  a  general  way.  His  text  on 
this  occasion  was:  "See,  I  have  this  day  set  thee 
over  the  nations,  and  over  the  kingdoms,  to  root  out, 
and  to  pull  down,  and  to  destroy,  and  to  throw  down, 
to  build,  and  to  plant." — Jeremiah  1:10.  Old  preach- 
ers, who  heard  this  effort,  declared  it  was  one  of  the 
very  best  sermons  the  Bishop  ever  preached. 

The  points  of  this  celebrated  sermon  were  briefly 
stated  of  follows: 

First,  The  calling.  Second,  The  qualification. 
Third,  The  duties.  Fourth,  The  results  of  the 
Gospel  ministry.    His  treatment  of  these  points  was 


Growing  Old. 


329 


clear  and  forcible  throughout,  especially  the  second 
and  third.  In  speaking  of  the  qualification  to  the 
holy  ministry,  he,  of  course,  emphasized  grace  and 
unction  as  the  principal  thing.  But  never  before  was 
the  Bishop  heard  to  speak  so  strongly  on  the  neces- 
sity of  learning  and  intellectual  training.  But  with 
the  proviso  that  human  learning  be  the  hand  maid 
and  not  the  mistress  in  the  house.  In  that  case  he 
declared  that  the  study,  investigation  and  scientific 
learning  were  not  only  useful,  but  desirable  and 
necessary  adjuncts  of  ministerial  qualification.  He 
referred  to  the  false  report  that  had  been  circulated 
as  to  his  position  on  this  matter,  namely  that  he  was 
opposed  to  learning,  schools  and  useful  books.  He 
branded  it  as  a  vile  slander,  and  resented  it  as  an 
insult,  with  some  impatience.  He  declared  himself 
opposed  only  to  the  abuse  of  learning,  and  to  ungodly 
and  corrupt  institutions  of  learning,  where  preachers 
are  manufactured  out  of  unconverted  men  by 
" machinery".  Such  schools  he  termed  "nests  of 
serpents  and  holes  of  basilicks  ". 

In  speaking  of  the  duties  of  the  ministerial  office, 
he  insisted  upon  frequent  pastoral  visitation  as  a 
principal  means  of  leading  souls  to  Christ.  He  also 
urged  in  the  same  line  the  searching  out  of  new 
appointments,  and  extending  the  borders.  Those  who 
were  careless  in  these  matters  the  Bishop  castigated 
with  vehement  severity.  He  declared  them  to  be 
lazy  and  unworthy  of  their  high  office.  And  such  as 
"  located  "  without  sufficient  cause  he  also  gave  some 
hard  blows.    The  only  sufficient  cause  for  leaving  the 


330  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


field,  in  his  opinion,  is,  when  it  is  utterly  impossible  to 
preach.  Said  he,  "I  am  determined  to  die  on  the 
field.  When  I  can't  preach  every  day  any  more,  I'll 
preach  four  times  a  week;  if  that  is  too  much,  I  will 
preach  twice,  and  if  that  won't  go,  I  will  preach  once 
yet, — I  am  bound  to  die  on  the  walls  of  Zionf" 

This  sermon  lasted  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  riveted 
the  attention  and  interest  of  the  large  audience  to  the 
last.  With  breathless  interest  they  followed  the 
burning  utterances  of  the  speaker,  and  the  effect 
upon  the  entire  audience  was  profound. 

Bishop  Seybert  was  now  in  his  sixty-fifth  year,  and 
in  the  Spring  of  1856  he  made  one  of  the  most  labo- 
rious, extensive  and  fatiguing  journeys  of  his  life. 
One  stands  amazed  at  the  aged  Bishop's  courage, 
fortitude  and  indomitable  enterprise.  Though  the 
weather  that  Winter  was  unusually  cold,  he  traveled 
daily.  It  is  hard  to  understand  how  it  was  possible 
for  him  to  endure  so  much  exposure,  especially 
because,  as  we  are  told  by  those  who  know,  he  did 
not  wear  warm  clothing.  He  never  wore  an  over- 
coat in  his  life,  but  at  this  time  wore  a  sort  of  a  cape 
or  mantle  worn  thin  by  time  and  use. 

He  presided  in  March  at  the  East  Pennsylvania 
conference,  and  though  a  deep  snow  fell,  he  crossed 
on  his  way  westward  three  tall,  high,  cloud-mantled 
mountains  with  his  conveyance.  For  lodging  he 
stopped  at  a  hotel  in  Bedford  Co.,  where  a  crowd 
of  drunken  rowdies  came  in,  drank  liquor,  smoked 
tobacco,  and  caroused  in  a  fearful  manner.  Later 
at  night  three  other   rowdies  came,  who  wanted 


Growing  Old. 


331 


lodgings,  but  had  no  money.  The  landlord  refused 
to  keep  them.  One  of  them,  however,  begged  so 
hard,  that  he  was  finally  permitted  to  stay.  In  the 
morning  the  wretch  went  out  to  the  barn,  sold  his 
shirt  to  the  colored  hostler  for  ten  cents,  bought  with 
it  a  dram  of  whiskay,  which  he  gulped  down,  and  then 
trudged  off  without  breakfast. 

On  the  20th  he  was  at  the  foot  of  the  Alleghanies. 
Here  he  again  lodged  in  a  hotel,  and  next  morning 
wanted  to  proceed.  But  it  was  impossible  to  go  any 
further  with  the  conveyance.  A  farmer  then  loaded 
his  conveyance  on  a  sled  and  took  him  up  the  moun- 
tain. He  also  made  him  a  sled  upon  which  to  take 
his  regular  vehicle  along.  On  the  23d  he  only  made 
ten  miles.  By  this  time  it  was  Easter,  and  the 
Bishop  was  obliged  again  to  lodge  in  a  tavern  among 
a  lot  of  ungodly  rowdies.  On  Easter  Monday  the 
Lord  sent  him  some  good  friends,  old  acquaintances, 
who  brought  him  over  Laurel  Hill,  as  his  temporary 
sled  was  already  broken  down.  The  arrival  of  these 
friends  was  providential,  for  he  was  at  his  wit's  end 
at  this  point  in  his  journey.  The  snow  on  the  mount- 
ains was  said  to  have  an  average  depth  of  five  feet, 
and  in  some  places  it  lay  fifteen  feet  deep;  it  was 
very  cold,  there  was  much  ice,  and  the  sky  had  that 
dull  leaden  hue,  that  casts  a  gloomy,  sombre,  cheer- 
less forbidding  shadow  over  the  landscape  and  over 
the  lonely  traveler's  mind.  Withal  a  biting  "nor'- 
wester"  blew  fiercely  through  the  ravines,  and  chilled 
to  the  bone  the  weary  old  man.  On  the  26th  he 
reached  Pittsburgh,  greatly  fatigued,  but  preached  in 


33 2  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


the  evening  from  i  Cor.  15:58,  and  the  Word  was 
with  power. 

March  27th  he  encountered  a  severe  snow  storm 
and  intense  cold,  but  he  reached  Economy,  and  spent 
the  night  with  his  mother,  who  was  still  living,  though 
feeble,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  Next  day  he 
crossed  the  line  into  Ohio,  and  on  the  29th  reached 
the  residence  of  his  colleague,  Bishop  Joseph  Long, 
at  Greensburgh,  Summit  Co.,  O.  Here  he  was 
happy,  but  could  not  stop  long.  He  had  still  to  cross 
Ohio  and  Indiana,  before  reaching  the  Illinois  con- 
ference session,  which  was  his  objective  point.  His 
route  lay  through  Cleveland,  Sandusky  City,  Bellevue 
and  Perrysburg,  O.  April  16th  he  reached  Freeport, 
111.,  where  the  conference  met  on  the  17th. 

Here  the  Wisconsin  conference  was  organized. 
After  spending  forty  days  in  the  territory  of  the  new 
conference,  the  Bishop  said: 

"  There  is  nothing  to  fear  for  this  new  conference. 
I  have  examined  closely  into  the  circumstances,  and 
have  come  to  this  conclusion:  In  the  prosperous 
condition,  and  with  the  noble  liberality  of  our  mem- 
bership there,  and  the  courage  and  zeal  of  their 
preachers,  this  conference  will,  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  which  has  hitherto  attended  it,  conquer  glori- 
ously. She  has  already  sent  a  missionary  into  Min- 
nesota, even  before  holding  a  session  of  her  own. 
Blessed  be  the  eternal  God  for  this  enterprise." 

Quite  a  large  number  of  young  brethren, — promis- 
ing men,  entered  the  itinerancy.  At  their  reception 
Bishop  Seybert  asked  them  in  the  presence  of  the 


Growing  Old. 


333 


conference  and  all  in  the  church,  whether  they  were 
free  from  the  use  of  tobacco;  which  they  all  were  en- 
abled to  answer  affirmatively.  The  younger  ministry 
in  the  West  he  found  generally  studious,  diligently 
engaged  in  searching  the  Scriptures  and  other  good 
books — -a  fact  which  greatly  pleased  him.  "For," 
he  remarks,  "it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  vacancies 
which  will  occur  by  our  death,  will  be  filled  by 
thorough  and  capable  successors,  who  by  God's  grace 
will  be  able  to  carry  forward  the  work  which  we  have 
begun." 

September  nth,  1856,  a  severe  accident  befell  the 
Bishop  at  Lincoln,  Stark  Co.,  111.  His  horse  became 
frightened,  upset  the  conveyance,  throwing  him 
violently  to  the  ground,  and  breaking  its  harness  into 
fragments.  The  Bishop  wTas  very  dangerously  in- 
jured. He  says:  "Here  my  old,  dilapidated,  storm- 
beaten  tabernacle  of  clay,  in  which  1  had,  during  the 
last  thirty-five  years,  preached  about  ten  thousand 
sermons,  came  very  near  being  totally  demolished; 
for  my  hardships  on  the  long  and  perilous  journeys 
of  my  itinerant  life  have  at  last  made  me  weak.  But 
the  Lord  again  watched  over  me  in  this  accident. 
Blessed  be  His  Name!" 

In  his  modesty  he  makes  no  mention  of  the  many 
thousand  private  calls  he  had  made,  which  added 
much  to  the  fatigue  of  his  ministry.  He  now  had  to 
spend  two  days  in  a  hotel  in  Lincoln,  111.,  among 
strangers  and  ungodly  people.  He  could  neither  eat 
nor  sleep,  suffered  great  pain,  and  it  was  a  matter  of 
doubt  whether  he  would  recover  at  all.     He  was, 


334 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


however,  resigned  and  patient,  only  complaining  that 
he  was  far  away  from  brethren  and  sisters,  and  was 
among  a  rough  crowd  of  "Satan's  people".  After 
this  he  stayed  for  three  days  with  a  converted 
Lutheran,  named  Daniel  Altendorfer.  This  brother 
took  him  into  his  house,  and  took  good  care  of  him, 
all  gratis. 

Several  days  after  this,  Rev.  Dengel,  one  of  our 
missionaries,  came  through  Lincoln,  and  took  the  sick 
Bishop  along  to  Pulaski,  where  he  was  hospitably 
entertained.  In  great  weakness  he  left  here  and 
went  a  hundred  and  thirty-four  miles  to  Marshall,  111., 
where  he  was  compelled  to  halt  again  for  ten  days. 
He  was  "almost  finished"  when  he  got  there.  And 
no  wonder,  for  he  traveled  fifty  miles  in  a  day.  On 
the  eighth  day  after  his  arrival  at  Marshall,  he  tot- 
tered out  with  a  walking  stick  and  visited  a  penitent 
family.  On  the  eleventh  day  he  traveled  fifty  miles 
with  his  conveyance.  He  had  to  "hurry",  lest  he  get 
"too  far  behind  in  his  journey". 

At  the  beginning  of  October  he  writes:  "When  I 
first  attempted  again  to  make  a  beginning  in  travel- 
ing, preaching  and  visiting,  after  the  accident,  it  was 
in  a  very  feeble  manner,  but  soon  I  improved  daily,  so 
that,  in  the  course  of  some  ten  weeks,  I  was  quite 
restored  from  my  injuries,  and  was  enabled  to  con- 
tinue my  journey  as  usual  through  cold  and  heat, 
through  snow-storms  and  other  inclemencies." 

When  he  was  yet  quite  weak  he  arrived  at  Warren- 
town,  Indiana,  where  he  was  to  preach  in  a  church 
called  Tabor,  built  on  Mount  Tabor.    Weary  with  a 


Growing  Old, 


335 


long  day's  journey,  he  arrived  late.  The  congrega- 
tion was  already  assembled  and  waiting.  He  says: 
"There  was  no  time  left  to  eat — only  to  pray.  I 
accordingly  went  out  upon  the  church  yard  in  the 
darkness,  fell  upon  my  knees,  pleaded  fervently  with 
God  for  His  help  and  his  blessing.  He  also  heard 
my  cry  and  blessed  His  Word  powerfully.  His 
blessings  descended  upon  the  assembly  like  showers 
of  rain,  and  there  was  a  degree  of  joy  in  the  camp 
that  is  seldom  seen.''  —  No  time  to  eat,  only  time  to 
pray,  is  a  rare  sentiment  in  such  an  emergency.  It 
was  a  scene  for  an  artist.  The  travel  stained,  weather 
beaten,  aged  itinerant,  upon  his  knees,  amid  the 
marble  monuments  of  the  dead,  under  the  shadow  of 
night  pleading  with  God  for  his  waiting  congregation 
in  the  temple  of  Jehovah. 

In  December  the  Bishop  dedicated  a  church  edifice 
at  New  Portage,  Summit  county,  Ohio.  After 
several  days  of  service  there  were  still  no  conversions, 
and  Bishop  Seybert  gave  as  a  reason,  that  "the  old 
people  are  hard-hearted,  and  the  young  people  are 
vain  and  wicked,  have  had  poor  training,  and  some 
of  them  behave  worse  than  heathens." 


336  Life  mid  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

TIRELESS  ZEAL. 

January  9th,  (1857)  Seybert  had  come  as  far  east  as 
Economy,  and  found  his  aged  mother  so  feeble  that 
she  had  to  be  cared  for  like  a  child.  She  was  in  her 
ninety-first  year.  It  afforded  both  the  son  and  the 
mother  mutual  joy  to  meet  once  more  on  earth.  On 
the  10th,  as  his  horse  was  lame  he  walked  to  Freedom, 
and  preached  there.  This  was  a  cold  day.  The 
thermometer  registered  140  below  Zero.  On  the 
13th  he  bade  his  feeble  mother  adieu,  with  the 
thought  that  he  would  never  see  her  face  again  until 
they  met  in  heaven. 

The  Bishop  now  retraced  his  steps;  he  could  go 
no  farther  eastward,  as  he  had  to  hold  the  Illinois 
conference,  which  would  meet  April  2 2d.  He  spent 
the  Winter  in  Ohio,  preaching  and  visiting.  He 
arrived  in  Illinois  April  14th,  when  he  complains,  it 
was  very  cold,  and  a  terrible  snow-storm  hindered  his 
journey.  From  this  conference  he  went  to  Jefferson 
City,  Wisconsin,  to  preside  at  the  first  session  of  the 
newly  formed  Wisconsin  conference,  May  6th,  1857. 
The  business  of  the  young  conference  was  soon  dis- 
patched, and  the  report  of  the  stationing  committee 
was  already  read  on  the  second  day.  No  sour  faces 
were  to  be  seen  among  the  preachers.  They  were 
all  happy,  whatever  their  appointment.    The  Bishop 


Tireless  Zeal. 


337 


expressed  himself  confident  of  a  glorious  future  for 
this  conference,  on  account  of  the  liberality  of  the 
membership  and  the  fiery  zeal  of  the  preachers. 
Then  he  remarks:  "  One  thing  more  deserves  men- 
tion, which  affords  me  much  pleasure,  and  is  an 
honor  to  the  conference,  and  that  is,  that  with  but 
few  exceptions,  all  the  preachers,  especially  the 
younger  ones,  are  entirely  free  from  the  use  of 
tobacco  in  any  of  its  forms;  they  neither  chew,  smoke 
nor  snuff." 

Alexander  Stephens,  I  believe,  once  had  the  privi- 
lege of  reading  in  the  papers,  a  journalistic  history 
of  his  life,  and  eulogies  upon  his  character,  the  report 
having  been  falsely  telegraphed  that  he  had  departed 
this  life.  Bishop  John  Seybert,  came  near  having  a 
similar  experience  in  1857.  Several  times  the  report 
became  current  that  he  was  dead  and  buried,  and  it 
finally  also  reached  his  own  ears.  Upon  this  he 
wrote  to  the  " Christliche  Botsch after"  to  inform  his 
friends  that  he  was  still  among  the  living.  The  article 
ran  somewhat  as  follows: 

''Inasmuch  as  the  report  has  become  current  in 
different  States  of  the  Union  that  I  have  departed 
this  life  and  am  already  buried,  I  would  inform  our 
friends  through  this  communication,  that,  during  the 
past  Winter,  notwithstanding  the  great  snow-storms, 
intense  cold,  and  bad  roads,  I  have  enjoyed  good 
health,  and  got  along  well,  reaching  the  thirteenth 
session  of  the  Illinois  conference  in  good  time.  This 
was  a  good  session.  The  bounds  have  been  extended 
again,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  form  a  new  district 
22 


338  Life  and  Labors  of  Jolm  Seybert. 


west  of  the  Mississippi.  The  membership  exercised 
great  liberality  in  supporting  the  Gospel.  The  preach- 
ing, during  this  session  was  powerful.  Hallelujah! 

"  So  much  for  this  time.  Remember  me  in  your 
prayers,  ye  friends  of  Zion,  so  that  I  may  be  enabled 
to  discharge  the  office  of  a  teacher  to  the  good  of  the 
Church  and  the  salvation  of  the  world,  through  grace. 
Amen." 

This  time  he  seems  to  have  forgotten  his  birth-day. 
For  the  first  time  no  mention  of  it  is  traceable  in  his 
journal.  In  July  he  visited  Kankakee,  Illinois,  a 
city  of  three  thousand  inhabitants,  which  three  years 
before,  was  only  a  wilderness  of  thickets  and  under- 
brush. Our  Church  had  already  established  itself  in 
the  place,  built  a  good  church,  and  had  a  promising 
Sunday-school. 

After  this  he  spent  sixty-three  days  in  the  bounds 
of  the  Indiana  conference,  presiding  at  the  conference 
session  in  September. 

He  praised  very  greatly  the  arrangement  he  found 
at  a  camp-ground  in  Marshall  Co.,  Ind.  This  en- 
campment was  enclosed,  and  the  twenty-four  tents 
were  of  lumber  with  doors  that  could  be  locked,  so  that 
the  ground  could  be  locked  in  during  the  year.  It 
was  so  arranged  that  after  service  at  night,  every- 
thing could  be  locked  out  that  was  objectionable. 
This  was  a  new  arrangement  at  that  time,  which  now 
is  in  more  general  vogue.  The  Bishop  saw  at  a 
glance  the  utility  of  the  plan,  and  commended  it 
highly. 

October  9th,  1857,  Bishop  Seybert  visited  one  of 


Tireless  Zeal. 


339 


the  old  itinerants  of  our  church,  Rev.  John  Erb,  near 
Flat  Rock,  Seneca  Co.,  O.,  who  was  near  his  end. 
This  brother  had  to  suffer  severely,  from  a  cancer  in 
the  face.  ''But",  Seybert  says,  "he  is  comforted  in 
his  God,  and  seems  to  have  a  comfortable  hope,  and 
a  strong  inward  desire  to  be  present  with  the  Lord. 
The  prospect  of  a  speedy  departure  fills  him  with 
peace." 

For  more  than  forty  years  Erb  was  a  faithful,  dili- 
gent, humble  and  spiritual  preacher. 

Soon  afterward  this  aged  sufferer  was  released, 
and  died  full  of  patience  and  hope.  He  was  one  of 
the  old  pioneers  of  our  church  in  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio. 

On  the  thirteenth  of  October,  at  Bro.  Kerns,  near 
Lindsey,  Ohio,  the  Bishop  again  hitched  to  his  con- 
veyance, after  having  ridden  2,500  miles  on  horse- 
back since  March  26th. 

On  the  24th  and  25th  of  that  month  he  attended 
the  dedication  of  the  Peace  Church  near  Blatchleys- 
ville,  Wayne  Co.,  Ohio,  (Felgers).  The  services  on 
Sunday  evening  were  blessed  with  a  number  of  con- 
versions. Upon  which  he  remarks:  "So  then  this 
house  was  dedicated  indeed." 

Thence  he  went  on  east,  and  made  his  last  tour  in 
his  native  State  and  conference. 

In  the  Moravian  town  of  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  a  charac- 
teristic incident  occurred.  One  afternoon  in  the  be- 
ginning of  Winter,  he  came  into  Bethlehem  from  the 
North,  walking  along  by  the  side  of,  or  rather  ahead 
of  his  conveyance,  occasionally  casting  a  glanceat 


340 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


the  houses  on  either  side  as  he  passed  along,  and 
then  turning  his  eyes  upward  toward  the  sky,  or 
backward  towards  his  horse.  A  sister  happened  to 
espy  him,  and,  supposing  him  to  be  searching  for 
some  one,  she  called  out  to  him,  "  Why,  Brother 
Seybert!  is  it  possible  that  you  are  here?  —  Whom 
are  you  looking  for,  anyway?"  "  I  am  not  looking 
for  anyone  here,  sister,"  was  the  reply,  "but  I'm 
going  down  here  to  Texas,  — there's  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion down  there!"  With  this  the  Bishop  trudged 
on,  turning  his  blue  gray  eyes  toward  the  westering 
sun,  to  see  how  much  time  he  yet  had  to  get  through 
thirteen  miles,  to  his  destination. 

How  absorbed  this  man  was  in  the  business  of 
soul  saving!  He  had  not  been  among  his  friends 
at  Bethlehem  for  several  years,  but  he  will  not  even 
stop  to  exchange  greetings,  etc.,  or  rest.  He  has 
heard  that  at  Texas  the  Lord  is  saving  sinners,  and 
there  he  wanted  to  be.  That  was  the  absorbing 
thought  of  his  soul.  Nothing  else  was  worth  con- 
sideration. —  "  I'm  going  down  here  to  Texas,  —  the 
Lord's  saving  sinners  there!"  That  was  enough! 
John  Seybert  wanted  nothing  better. 

In  1858  Bishop  Seybert  presided  at  the  New  York, 
Pittsburgh,  Central  and  East  Pennsylvania  con- 
ferences. The  latter  was  his  original  conference;  in 
it  he  was  converted,  and  began  to  preach;  in  it  he 
served  the  Church  until  his  election  to  the  episcopal 
office.  He  always  felt  at  home  there,  and  naturally 
felt  a  peculiar  attachment  toward  its  members,  many 
of  whom  had  shared  with  him  the  hardships,  priva- 


Tireless  Zeal. 


34* 


tions  and  difficulties  of  the  days  of  small  things.  The 
session  of  1858  was  the  last  of  that  conference  he 
ever  attended.  In  less  than  two  years  he  was  called 
home,  his  work  being  done. 

The  parting  scene  on  this  occasion  was  most  affect- 
ing. The  aged  Bishop  seemed  to  have  a  presenti- 
ment that  it  was  his  last  meeting  with  these  brethren 
on  earth.  And  evidently  many  of  the  brethren  had 
similar  feelings.  When  the  business  was  finished, 
and  the  time  for  the  usual  farewell  ceremonies  had 
arrived,  the  Bishop  seemed  embarrassed  and  agitated. 
He  was  loath  to  conduct  the  solemn  ceremony  him- 
self, and  sought  to  induce  two  other  brethren  to  re- 
lieve  him  of  this  duty,  but  they  refused.  Seeing 
that  he  could  not  escape,  he  cast  a  glance  at  his  chair 
in  the  altar,  and  crept  with  timid  steps  to  his  place. 
With  deep  and  labored  breathing,  as  if  very  weary, 
he  addressed  the  conference,  admonishing  them  to 
faithfulness,  steadfastness,  love?  humility  and  all 
Christian  virtues.  Upon  this  he  announced  a  hymn, 
and  offered  a  most  touching  prayer,  during  which 
there  was  much  weeping.  Seybert  then  left  the  altar, 
and,  in  a  hesitating  manner  began  to  give  each 
brother  personally  the  parting  hand.  A  feeling  of 
indescribable  sorrow  filled  all  hearts,  and  the  scene 
impressed  itself  indelibly  upon  all  who  were  present. 
Some  wept,  some  praised  God,  arid  others  sang 
solemnly  a  parting  hymn.  Meanwhile  the  patriarchal 
Bishop  had  spoken  to  all,  and  had  disappeared  from 
view.  Upon  looking  for  him  he  was  seen  hidden 
behind  the  pulpit  and  lamp  pillars,  where  he  sat 


34 2  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


weeping  convulsively!  Never  had  Seybert  been 
seen  so  agitated.  His  forebodings  were  correct. 
His  sun  was  sinking  low  in  the  horizon,  and  he 
never  saw  these  men  again,  except  as,  one  by  one,  he 
has  greeted  them  in  the  city  above.    He  had  climbed 

u  Where  Moses  stood  " 

And  viewed  the  landscape  o'er. 

Thence  he  went  to  the  West  Pennsylvania  confer- 
ence, and  thence  to  the  Pittsburgh  conference,  and 
thence  to  the  New  York  conference.  At  the  latter 
place,  after  mentioning  the  names  of  those  whom  the 
conference  lost  —  some  five  or  six  in  number,  while 
only  one  was  newly  received,  he  exclaims:  "Lord, 
help!" 

While  visiting  one  day  in  June,  in  Canada,  he 
called  among  others  upon  an  aged  sister  of  the 
Mennonites,  86  years  of  age,  who  had  recently  been 
converted.  During  the  fifteen  years  of  her  widow- 
hood, she  had  read  the  Bible  through  several  times, 
and  the  New  Testament  twenty-four  times.  The 
Bishop  was  astonished  at  her  profound  insight  into 
God  s  Word,  and  expressed  his  opinion  that  she  was 
"possessed  of  a  deeper  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures 
than  most  of  the  preachers  of  that  day." 

July  7th,  1858,  being  his  sixty-seventh  birth-day, 
he  wrote,  "O  God,  how  much  goodness  I  have  enjoyed 
during  my  past  life  !  My  sixty-eighth  year  shall  also 
be  consecrated  to  Thee.  And  grant  Thou  that  my 
long  life  may  have  been  useful  to  the  Church  and 
to  the  world,  and  contribute  to  Thy  honor  for  the 
sake  of  Jesus  and  His  sufferings.  Amen." 


Tireless  Zeal. 


343 


Two  days  later  the  following: 

"What  a  fortunate  man  I  am  in  my  sixty-eighth 
year!  My  health  is  at  present  good,  and  I  am  of 
good  courage.  Eighteen  years  I  lived  without  God, 
and  without  religion;  in  my  nineteenth  I  found  the 
Lord.  I  have  now  served  Him  forty  and  eight  years, 
thirty-seven  of  this  time  in  the  ministry.  In  this 
time  I  have  preached  more  than  nine  thousand  times, 
and  traveled  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  miles, 
mostly  on  horseback.  My  hearing  is  yet  acute,  I 
can  read  without  spectacles,  which  I  frequently  do, 
and  if  it  were  necessary,  I  would  undertake  to  preach 
three  times  a  day.    To  God  alone  be  all  the  praise." 

The  bishops,  Seybert  and  Long,  were  neither  of 
them  of  literary  propensities,  and  seldom  wrote  for 
the  public.  They  were  often  censured  for  this,  and 
in  1858  public  communications  appeared  in  the 
Christliche  Botschafter,  complaining  that  the  bishops 
were  so  seldom  heard  from.  This  induced  Bishop 
Seybert  to  publicly  explain  himself.  He  wrote  the 
following: 

"As  a  brother,  in  Botschafter  No.  17,  accuses  the 
over-seers  of  the  Church  of  not  having  any  desire  to 
write,  I  would  offer  some  excuses  for  myself  in  the 
spirit  of  love  and  meekness. 

"  First,  I  have  a  very  large  field  of  labor,  upon 
which  I  have  to  make  many  extended  journeys,  being- 
obliged  to  preach  almost  every  evening,  however 
weary  I  may  be. 

"  Second,  It  is  also  a  proper  official  duty  to  visit  the 
members  of  the  Church,  the  sick  and  the  pentitent,  to 


344  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


instruct  them  all  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  to  pray 
with  them.    This  takes  away  much  time. 

"  Third,  Besides,  I  have  many  important  matters 
to  look  after,  incident  to  my  office,  which  must  be 
done,  if  I  am  to  be  found  faithful. 

"Fourth,  I  have  very  many  letters  to  write,  of 
which,  for  lack  of  time,  I  can  not  even  write  the  half. 

"  Fifth,  We  have  many  industrious,  able  writers 
for  our  periodicals,  by  whom  the  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  religion  are  clearly  and  emphatically  dis- 
cussed. 

"Sixth,  I  have  placed  my  large  and  valuable 
library,  including  more  than  twenty  thousand  pages 
of  missionary  intelligence  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Publishing  House,  and  of  the  editors,  both  during 
my  life  and  after  my  death  which  will  soon  come. 

"  Seventh,  I  do  not  know  that  God  has  specially 
called  or  fitted  me  for  literary  work,  as  also  the  holy 
apostle  Paul  was  not  specially  sent  to  baptize,  but  to 
preach  the  Gospel. 

"Still,  I  am  thankful  to  my  critic  for  his  remark, 
and  will  endeavor  in  the  future  to  write  more  for  the 
Botschafter.  John  Seybert." 

Near  Hamburg,  Canada,  a  camp-meeting  was  held, 
at  which  there  were  from  twenty  to  forty  seekers  at 
the  altar  daily.  Among  them  was  a  man  who  came 
sixty  miles  for  the  purpose  of  seeking  religion. 
Nearly  five  hundred  guests  appeared  at  the  Lord's 
Table.  The  Bishop  spent  twenty-eight  days  in 
Canada.  At  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  he  mentions  that  a  phi- 
lanthropist presented  our  people  with  a  large  building 


Tireless  Zeal. 


345 


lot,  on  condition  that  they  build  a  church  on  it,  which 
was  done.  He  spent  in  all  one  hundred  and  five  days 
in  the  New  York  conference,  and  then  labored  forty- 
nine  days  in  the  Ohio  conference,  after  which  he 
crossed  over  to  Indiana.  At  Bainbridge  in  the  latter 
State,  he  mentions  another  of  those  church  dedica- 
tions which  were  blessed  with  the  conversion  of 
sinners.  Here  the  Bishop  had  the  pleasure  of  baptiz- 
ing a  converted  Jewess.  This  place  was  wonderfully 
revolutionized  as  a  result  of  our  work.  Seybert 
specially  rejoices  over  the  remarkable  progress  which 
the  conference  had  made,  exclaiming,  "  Hitherto  the 
Lord  hath  helped  us!" 

Early  in  November  he  reached  Illinios,  and  spent 
the  Winter  in  the  northern  part  of  that  conference. 
On  account  of  increasing"  infirmities  and  the  bad 
western  roads  he  did  not  venture  farther  west.  At 
Naperville  he  mentions  the  dedication  of  the  large 
brick  church  edifice  which  was  followed  by  a  gracious 
revival,  lasting  five  or  six  weeks,  during  which  many 
sinners  were  saved.  Seybert  says  he  was  surprised 
that  this  protracted  exercise  had  not  exhausted  the 
friends  there. 

During  this  tour  he  traveled  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  over  "majestic  icefields",  where  he  endured 
fearfully  cold  weather. 

At  Aurora  he  also  had  a  blessed  church  dedica- 
tion, remarking:  "Aurora  signifies  1  the  dawning 
light\  and  now  the  morning  light  has  also  dawned 
here  in  the  ecclesiastical  heavens,  —  the  light  of  the 
knowledge  of  God  and  of  the  truth." 


346 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


Then  his  report  proceeds:  "In  Hampshire,  Kane 
county,  on  the  urgent  request  of  friends,  I  remained 
three  days  to  rest,  preaching  one  evening  to  a 
crowded  house.  Our  friends  here,  though  mostly 
living  in  poor  huts,  have  builded  a  good,  plain  house 
of  worship,  without  tower  or  bell,  and  without  leaving 
any  debts.  At  the  dedication  about  thirty  souls  were 
converted, — promising  people,  too.  He  remarks: 
"  Here  it  seems  the  poor  can  do  more  than  in  many 
places  the  rich.  Does  anyone  ask  how  this  can  be? 
I  answer,  for  three  reasons.  First,  these  people  have 
a  warm  love  for  God  and  perishing  humanity. 
Second,  they  are  not  stingy.  Third,  they  are  not 
captives  to  the  fearful,  world  and  church  ruining 
fashion-god.  That  is  why  they  can  accomplish  such 
things." 

Among  Bro.  Seybert  s  documents  was  found  an  in- 
teresting history  of  the  work  of  the  Evangelical 
Association  in  Upper  Canada,  written  about  this  time. 
The  account  really  does  not  belong  here,  but  to  the 
History  of  the  Evangelical  Association.  We  there- 
fore only  give  such  portions  as  seem  pertinent  to  this 
biography.  In  the  main  it  is  historical  rather  than 
biographical. 

The  Bishop  first  describes  the  terrible  condition  of 
the  Germans  of  Victorias  realm.  They  were  most 
deplorably  depraved  and  demoralized.  Denomina- 
tionally they  were  divided  into  Catholics,  Lutherans, 
Reformed,  Mennonites  and  Tunkers.  The  United 
Brethren  had  at  one  time  made  an  effort  to  convert 
these  Germans,  but  were  unfortunate  on  account  of 


Tireless  Zeal.  347 

the  bad  conduct  of  their  missionary.  He  was  de- 
posed and  expelled  for  immorality,  and  the  Campbel- 
lites  picked  him  up.  Sad  indeed  is  the  Bishop's  pen- 
picture  of  the  churches  there.  A  few  examples  will 
illustrate  the  condition  of  things.  At  Puslinch,  on  the 
occasion  of  a  christening,  the  parson  got  so  drunk  that 
he  fell  from  his  chair.  When  some  of  those  present 
picked  him  up,  the  lady  of  the  house  remarked  in 
disgust,  "Why  don't  you  let  him  lie  on  the  floor?" 

Near  Hamburg,  a  pastor  had  announced  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Lord's  Supper,  but  on  arriving  in 
the  town  for  this  purpose  at  the  appointed  time, 
he  was  met  by  a  procession  of  his  parishioners,  on 
their  way  to  a  dance.  One  was  carrying  a  beer  keg 
on  his  shoulder,  and  another  had  a  fiddle  under  his 
arm.  They  requested  the  "Pfarrer"  to  postpone  the 
Sacrament  as  they  had  appointed  a  dance,  which  he 
did!    The  dance  went  on. 

This  parson  came  near  having  a  serious  adventure 
that  night.  He  stayed  all  night  with  a  member  of 
his  church,  named  Smith.  After  retiring  late  at  night, 
one  of  the  aforesaid  parishioners  called,  and  declared 
he  came  to  pommel  the  pastor,  because  he  had  never 
given  his  people  anything  in  return  for  the  money  he 
received  as  salary.  The  host,  Mr.  Smith,  was  obliged 
to  interfere,  to  prevent  the  parson  from  getting  a 
severe  castigation.  This  Mr.  Smith,  who  was  a 
rationalist,  afterwards  was  converted  and  became  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Evangelical  Association, 
and  served  for  years  as  a  Presiding  Elder  in  the  New 
York  conference. 


348  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


A  Catholic  priest,  near  Puslinch,  refused  Catholic 
burial  to  a  child  whose  father  would  not  permit 
anointing  it  at  death.  But  the  burial  took  place  at 
night  on  the  Catholic  cemetery.  The  enraged  priest 
then  had  the  body  exhumed  and  sold  it  to  a  physician. 

A  Lutheran  church  dedication  degenerated  into  a 
veritable  drunken  carnival. 

This  is  enouofh  to  show  the  need  of  evangelization. 
Into  such  benighted  regions  the  preachers  of  the 
Evangelical  Association  always  delighted  to  go  with 
the  blessed  tidings  of  salvation.  The  Evangelical 
Association  has  often  gone  where  she  was  not  wanted, 
but  never  where  she  was  not  needed.  In  gfoingf  into 
Canada,  however,  she  followed  earnest  and  pressing 
invitations  from  the  people  there.  The  first  efforts  in 
Canada  were  simultaneous  with  the  organization  of 
the  Missionary  Society  of  our  Church.  In  the  Winter 
of  1837.  the  Rev's.  Hammer,  Harlacher  and  Bel- 
li no-er  made  visits  there.  Michael  Eis  was  the  first 
to  achieve  success.  At  Waterloo,  in  1839  an  un- 
parallelled  undertaking  was  carried  to  a  successful 
execution:  A  camp-meeting  was  held  before  there 
was  a  single  member  of  our  church  there.  The  mis- 
sionary invited  Bishop  Seybert  to  attend  his  meet- 
ing, which  he  did.  The  Bishop  was  persuaded  to  go 
by  the  fact  that  preachers  were  scarce  there,  and  the 
work  certainly  needed  help.  He  accordingly  made  a 
forced  trip,  per  horse-back,  of  three  hundred  and 
eighty  miles.  At  Buffalo  he  was  taken  sick,  but  still 
rode  fifty  miles  that  day.  "  There  were  fifteen  tents 
on  the  ground,  before  we  had  a  single  member  in  all 


Tireless  Zeal, 


249 


Canada."  The  meeting  was  wonderful.  Many  people 
were  converted.  The  result  was  the  organization  of 
the  first  class  in  Canada. 

Several  influential  citizens  of  Waterloo  now  assisted 
the  work.  One  of  these  was  a  Methodist  preacher, 
who  attended  this  camp-meeting,  and  said  that  it  was 
"old  fashioned  Methodism."  This  man  supported  the 
cause  liberally  and  remembered  it  in  his  last  will  and 
testament.  He  also  was  instrumental  in  securing  the 
recognition  of  our  Church  by  the  government. 

In  short,  the  work  prospered  so  that  in  three  years, 
Bishop  Seybert  declared  we  had  a  solid  foot-hold  in 
British  territory.  Near  Niagara  a  revival  broke  out 
in  a  large  Mennonite  society,  in  which  one  of  their 
Bishops  was  converted.  He  was,  however,  soon  cast 
over-board  by  his  unconverted  brethren.  ''This" 
says  Seybert,  "caused  an  earthquake  in  their  society, 
and  a  great  schism." 


35° 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SUNSET. 

After  the  Illinois  and  Wisconsin  conference  sessions 
in  1859,  the  Bishop,  during  the  Spring,  traveled  over 
the  Wisconsin  conference  district  and  attended  several 
camp-meetings  there.  One  of  these  was  held  at 
Honey  Creek,  Sauk  Co.  While  the  two  hundred 
and  ten  guests  knelt  at  the  Lord's  table,  there  was  a 
complete  triumph  of  grace.  On  that  day  also  a 
missionary  auxiliary  was  formed,  at  which  two 
hundred  and  thirty-one  dollars  were  subscribed. 
The  Bishop  expressed  his  astonishment  at  this,  as 
the  people  were  very  poor.  But,  he  explains,  "  these 
people  were  truly  Evangelical,  industrious,  economical, 
liberal,  and  not  stingy.  They  were  Swiss  emigrants, 
and  were  no  slaves  to  the  American  fashion  craze. 
If  they  were  guilty  of  following  the  devilish  vanity  of 
the  day,  they  could  not  have  raised  twenty  dollars  for 
the  missionary  cause." 

Speaking  of  the  young  Wisconsin  conference  in 
general,  the  Bishop  remarks:  "This  conference  has 
made  splendid  progress.  In  the  three  years  of  its 
existence  it  has  extended  its  borders  three  hundred 
miles  beyond  the  Mississippi,  away  up  into  Minnesota, 
where  already  a  Presiding  Elder  district  has  been 
formed.  The  delegates  to  the  last  General  confer- 
ence would  hardly  have  believed  this  to  be  possible 
if  it  had  been  predicted,  and  to  the  brethren  here 


Sunset, 


351 


themselves  it  would  have  seemed  incredible.  And 
yet  it  has  been  done.  Behold,  the  Lord  hath  done 
this." 

During  the  Summer  —  the  last  of  his  life,  on  his 
trip  through  Illinois  —  he  unexpectedly  found  his 
colleague,  Bishop  Long,  ensconced  in  the  "  prophets 
chamber"  in  his  house  near  Freeport.  This  pleased 
him  greatly.  Unfortunately,  however,  the  circum- 
stances were  such  that  the  two  bishops  could  only 
spend  two  hours  together  at  that  time.  They  accord- 
ingly dispatched  their  official  business  and  then  gave 
each  other  the  parting  hand  again.  This  was  an 
informal  meeting  of  the  episcopal  board.  Bishop 
Long  was  obliged  to  leave,  and  Seybert  himself  could 
not  even  tarry  all  night  on  his  own  premises.  Long 
went  westward  to  Iowa,  Seybert  eastward  to  Indiana 
and  ad  in  finitum. 

During  a  tour  through  Wisconsin,  he  on  one  occa- 
sion served  as  substitute  for  a  Presiding  Elder  who 
could  not  be  present.  On  Monday  morning,  learning 
that  an  encampment  was  to  be  selected,  the  aged  but 
agile  Bishop  offered  his  services,  which  were  gladly 
accepted.  He  cut  himself  a  stick  for  a  measuring 
rod,  and  in  a  very  short  time  he  had  selected  and 
staked  off  a  first-class  piece  of  ground  in  the  most 
appropriate  manner. 

Apropos  to  this  incident  we  relate  here  a  sugges- 
tive anecdote. 

At  one  of  these  camp-meetings  in  Wisconsin,  while 
assisting  in  setting  the  encampment  in  order,  he 
asked  a  boy  who  stood  by,  to  go  with  him  to  bring 


352 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


up  some  poles  from  the  woods.  The  boy  willingly 
obeyed,  and,  in  childish  enthusiasm  seized  hold  of  the 
heavy  end  of  the  pole.  But  the  Bishop  interfered. 
"  No,  no,"  he  said,  "you  take  this  end;  I  will  take  the 
heavy  end!"  How  faithfully  he  always  took  "the 
heavy  end",  the  reader  of  these  pages,  can  very  easily 
understand.  That  was  characteristic  of  the  man. 
That  boy  has  since  become  a  prominent  minister 
in  our  Church,  and  already  for  sixteen  years  a  General 
conference  officer. 

In  one  of  his  sermons  at  the  above  quarterly  meet- 
ing he  stated  that  his  beloved  mother  had  passed 
away,  and  was  now  with  the  blessed  in  Paradise, 
adding,  "  Methinks  she  expects  soon  to  see  her  son 
John  with  her  in  heaven."  His  presentiments,  which 
he  casually  expressed  on  several  occasions  during  the 
last  year  of  his  life,  did  not  at  this  time  impress  his 
auditors  very  seriously,  as  he  seemed  to  be  hale  and 
hearty. 

During  his  stay  at  the  above  place,  a  Sunday-school 
festival  was  held  in  the  vicinity,  at  which  about  three 
hundred  children  were  assembled,  and  the  Order  of 
Good  Templars  participated  in  the  ceremonies  and 
festivities  of  the  day.  Several  temperance  speeches 
were  made,  and  of  course,  the  Bishop  being  present, 
he  could  not  escape.  His  remarkably  quaint  and 
severely  plain  appearance  was  in  striking  contrast  to 
the  gaily  festooned  platform,  on  which  flags  fluttered 
and  banners  waved,  and  uniforms  glittered.  It  was 
the  fifth  of  July.  His  was  the  closing  speech.  His 
text  was:    "Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin 


Sunset. 


353 


is  a  reproach  to  any  people."  After  expressing  his 
delight  in  the  institution  of  the  Sunday-school,  and 
the  blessing  the  children  assembled  there  enjoyed  on 
its  account,  he  went  on  to  amplify  and  illustrate  the 
assertion  of  his  text.  Among  other  things  he  also 
spoke  of  the  virtue  of  economy  and  the  vice  of  ex- 
travagance, eulogizing  the  former  greatly  in  its  bear- 
ing upon  domestic  happiness  and  social  prosperity. 
This  he  declared  belongs  to  temperance,  and  is  a 
splendid  piece  of  abstinence.  The  Bishop  became 
quite  earnest  and  let  loose  in  a  lively  manner  on  the 
sin  of  extravagance  and  luxurious  indulgence.  At 
this  point  some  fellow  sang  out  from  the  audience, 
"  Well,  what  are  we  to  do  with  the  money?"  Un- 
doubtedly this  rude  interruption  would  have  exas- 
perated the  audience,  carried  away  as  they  were  by 
the  magnetic  eloquence  of  the  speaker,  had  not  the 
Bishop  been  ready.  Scarcely  had  the  rude  question 
been  heard,  before  the  answer  crashed  through  the 
ranks,  44 Why  pay  your  debts  with  it!"  This  sensible, 
prompt  reply  was  rewarded  with  a  storm  of  applause, 
especially  because  the  audience  knew  that  the  Inter- 
locutor needed  that  particular  advice.  This  was  very 
likely  Seybert's  last  temperance  speech. 

About  four  miles  from  this  place  he  passed  his  last 
birth-day  anniversary  on  earth,  which  he  spent  in 
visiting  from  house  to  house,  reading  his  Bible  and 
in  making  a  short  journey,  being  specially  charmed 
with  the  delightful  scenery  of  the  season.  In  the 
evening  he  wrote  in  his  journal: 

44  Oh  how  thankful  I  feel  toward  God,  when  I  look 
23 


354  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


back  over  the  sixty  and  eight  years  of  my  life!  My 
God,  what  shall  I  render  unto  Thee  for  the  great 
goodness  Thou  hast  shown  towards  me?  I  have 
nothing  but  myself,  and  willingly  do  I  consecrate  my 
all  to  Thee.  Oh  that  my  entire  life  may  be  wholly 
consecrated  to  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord 
and  my  Redeemer.  Amen." 

Whenever  a  proposition  was  brought  before 
General  conference  to  change  or  amend  the  Dis- 
cipline, Bishop  Seybert  was  concerned,  lest  the 
amendment  prove  to  be  in  the  wrong  direction.  He 
was  particularly  opposed  to  several  measures  which 
were  proposed  from  time  to  time.  Among  these  was 
one  to  increase  the  power  of  the  Bishops,  making  the 
office  more  like  that  of  the  Methodists.  Another  was 
to  abolish  the  office  of  Presiding  Elder.  Then  there 
was  also  a  proposition  made,  to  regard  the  children 
of  our  own  members,  if  they  were  baptized  by  us, 
as  members  of  our  Church,  and  inscribe  their  names 
on  the  Church  Records.  Upon  this  he  wrote  to  a 
brother  in  the  East,  in  1859,  pending  the  General 
conference: 

"  I  rejoice  that  the  preachers  of  the  East  Penn'a 
conference  are  not  so  easily  persuaded  to  approve 
and  support  the  many  new  propositions  to  improve 
and  change  our  Book  of  Discipline,  especially  that 
your  conference  does  not  approve  of  the  proposal  to 
take  children  into  the  Church  simply  by  virtue  of  their 
having  been  baptized.  Such  a  step  I  say  would  be 
to  lay  the  foundation  for  a  heap  of  dead  bones  among 
us.    But  I  am  comforted  with  the  confidence  that 


Sunset. 


355 


there  is  too  much  salt  among  us  to  allow  such  a  mo- 
tion to  prevail.  But  you  must  be  wide  awake  in  the 
East,  or  else  it  might  succeed.  I  have  talked  with 
the  author  of  the  proposition;  he  defended  himself 
earnestly,  but  I  withstood  him  to  the  face,  and  think 
it  will  fortunately  fail." 

In  another  letter,  written  just  before  the  General 
Conference  convened,  which  should  be  his  last,  he 
said: 

"  There  are  forty  recommendations  to  the  General 
Conference, — what  will  become  of  them  all?  If  these 
recommendations  for  improvements  —  rather  changes 
—  keep  multiplying  at  this  rate,  we  will  soon  have 
them  by  hundreds.  But  it  is  to  be  seriously  ques- 
tioned, whether  our  Discipline,  which  in  my  opinion 
is  one  of  the  best  in  the  world,  will  be  improved  in 
this  way.  Time  will  tell.  The  power  of  the  epis- 
copacy is  also  to  be  discussed  again;  and  another 
perverse  proposition  is  on  foot,  touching  the  abolition 
of  the  Presiding  Eldership.  This  would  be  a  wild, 
inconsiderate  leap.  In  all  probability,  this  measure 
will  burst  like  a  soap-bubble,  before  it  does  us  any 
harm.  My  advice  is,  let  us  stick  fast  to  the  good 
arrangements  which  we  have,  and  I  am  of  the  opinion 
that  it  is  much  better  to  observe  and  obey  the  laws 
we  have,  than  to  be  constantly  changing  them.  But 
we  will  pray  the  Lord  to  give  us  wisdom  not  to  do 
anything  detrimental  to  His  cause." 

September  7th,  1859,  the  Indiana  conference  con- 
vened in  Indianapolis,  which  was  the  last  annual 
conference  session  over  which  Bishop  Seybert  pre- 


356  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert 


sided.  During  this  session  he  was  attacked  by  a 
fever.  Sunday,  however,  was  a  great  and  precious 
day. 

Notwithstanding  his  fever,  he  hastened  westward 
toward  Naperville,  Illinois,  where  the  General  Confer- 
ence was  to  begin  October  13th.  He  arrived  a  day 
before  it  began  weak,  and  weary.  This  was  the  last 
General  Conference  he  ever  attended.  He  had  now 
served  the  Church  in  the  highest  office  for  twenty 
years,  and  this  General  Conference  elected  him  for 
the  sixth  time.  But,  since  he  was  really  growing  old, 
and  was  manifestly  debilitated,  three  bishops  were 
elected,  with  the  purpose  of  lifting  some  of  the  burden 
from  the  shoulders  of  the  old  veteran,  and  to  give 
him  better  opportunity  to  spare  himself  in  his  declin- 
ing years.  John  Seybert  and  Joseph  Long  were 
unanimously  re-elected,  and  W.  W.  Orwig  was 
newly  elected  to  the  episcopacy. 

During  this  General  Conference  he  was  extremely 
feeble,  and  was  sometimes  hardly  able  to  ascend  the 
stairway  to  the  auditorium  of  the  church,  where  the 
conference  assembled.  It  was  observed  that  he 
would  go  a  few  steps  and  then  sit  down  to  rest,  and 
after  getting  to  the  top  of  the  stairs,  he  would  sit 
down  in  the  back  seat,  before  he  felt  strength  enough 
to  go  forward  to  the  chancel.  His  demeanor  was 
reserved  and  quiet,  and  he  took  but  little  part  in  the 
deliberations  and  debates,  except  that  he  seemed  very 
attentive  to  what  was  said  and  done.  He  seemed  to 
be  communing  with  his  own  thoughts,  and  had  the 
air  of  one  who  was  wrapped  up  in  profound  medita- 


Sunset. 


357 


tions.  This  was  attributed,  however,  to  his  "  severe 
K  cold"  as  he  called  his  indisposition,  and  the  hope  was 
entertained  that  he  would  soon  recover  again.  Still 
some  of  the  delegates  expressed  grave  apprehensions, 
lest  some  indiscretion  should  speedily  lead  to  fatal 
results.  But  the  intrepid  veteran  replied:  "O  breth- 
ren, you  see  I  just  had  an  attack  of  fever  in  Indiana, 
and  then  contracted  a  cold  too  which  has  aggravated 
the  pain  in  my  chest  and  my  cough.  I  have  been 
weak  like  this  before;  besides  the  weather  is  now 
unfavorable.  I  will  soon  be  better  again."  He  had 
not  strength  enough  to  make  an  exhortation  at  this 
time. 

Bishop  Seybert  approached  his  end  with  an  almost 
unequalled  calmness  and  composure.  He  had 
resolved  to  "look  death  right  in  the  eyes"  as  he 
expressed  himself,  believing  that  the  pale  king  of 
terrors  would  quail,  if  met  bravely. 

On  the  last  evening  of  General  Conference,  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  celebrated  by  the  delegates. 
During  this  solemn  service,  he  was  particularly 
observed.  With  folded  hands  he  knelt  at  the  table 
in  the  chancel,  beside  the  other  bishops,  and  received 
the  elements  with  an  innocence  that  seemed  hardly 
of  this  world.  One  of  the  delegates  present  says:  "I 
had  quite  forgotten  myself,  so  intensly  did  I  observe 
Bishop  Seybert's  manner  and  appearance.  And  I 
thought,  '  Bro.  Seybert  you  are  undoubtedly  near  the 
end  of  your  earthly  career,  and  are  approaching  the 
boundaries  of  the  spirit  world,  for  out  of  your  counte- 
nance there  shimmers    already  the  innocence  and 


358  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

purity  of  a  glorified  one  through  the  pale  integument, 
as  you  sit  here  under  the  dim  glare  of  the  lamps.  I 
shall  never  forget  that  face  until  I  see  him  in  the 
transcendent  lustre  of  the  resurrection  morning.  His 
great  spirit  of  self-denial,  the  marks  of  his  sufferings, 
his  sacrificing  love,  his  sincerity,  his  simplicity  and 
humility  and  his  benevolence  toward  his  fellowmen 
together  with  his  great  zeal  against  all  wrong — all 
this  seemed  to  me  to  be  shining  in  his  almost  trans- 
figured face,  and  made  an  impression  upon  my  mind 
that  I  cannot  now  describe,  though  I  fully  realized  it 
at  the  time.  He  seemed  so  near  heaven,  that  the 
possibilty  dawned  upon  me  that,  should  his  spirit  at 
that  moment  depart  and  step  over,  his  body  might 
remain  kneeling  at  the  chancel  just  as  he  was,  with 
folded  hands,  until  some  one  should  carry  him  away." 

Irresistibly  we  are  reminded  of  a  paragraph  by  a 
brilliant  lecturer:  "It  is  recorded  that  in  an  eastern 
city  a  martyr  was  once  tried,  and  as  all  they  who  sat 
in  the  council  looked  steadfastly  on  him  they  beheld 
his  face,  as  it  were  the  face  of  an  angel.  Is  it  possible 
that  the  light  present  in  this  case  and  in  approxi- 
mately similar  cases  in  our  day  is  the  same  thing  in 
each?  It  is  recorded  also,  as  we  remember,  now  that 
we  allow  our  minds  to  sweep  through  the  vistas  of 
historical  examples,  that  a  law-giver  who  yet  rules 
the  centuries,  once  had,  as  he  came  down  from  a 
certain  mount,  a  face  that  shone.  ...  Is  it  possible 
that  the  look  which  comes  into  the  countenance  when- 
ever the  loftier  zones  of  feeling  are  in  full  action  is  of 
the  same  sort  with  that  which  appeared  in  the  face  of 


Sunset. 


359 


Dante's  Beatrice  delighted  to  do  good;  and  in  the 
face  of  him  whose  countenance  was  like  that  of  an 
angel;  and  in  the  face  of  Moses;  and  in  the  unfath- 
omed  symbolisms  of  the  transfiguration?  Is  it  of  the 
same  sort  with  that  light  which  fills  the  world  of  those 
who  have  no  need  of  the  sun,  because  the  face  of  the 
Lamb  doth  lighten  them,  and  the  glory  of  God  is  the 
lamp  of  their  tabernacle  ?  "  . 

It  remains  only  to  record  such  events  concerning 
Bishop  Seybert  as  occurred  between  the  General 
Conference  in  October  and  his  death  in  January 
following.  He  visited  many  of  his  old  battle-grounds 
in  Illinois  such  as  Wheeling,  Dutchman's  Point, 
Dunkley's  Grove  and  other  places.  Some  of  these 
places  gave  him  special  invitations,  as  the  impression 
was  current  that  the  Bishop  would  never  see  the 
West  again.  At  Esher's,  near  Wheeling,  a  solemn 
baptismal  service  was  arranged  for.  The  people 
came  together  in  throngs  to  see  and  hear  the  old 
veteran  once  more.  On  seeing  the  multitude  he 
resolved  to  try  to  preach,  which  he  did,  and  in  a 
most  powerful  manner.  His  theme  was,  u  Dying  and 
living  with  Christ",  and  he  laid  great  stress  on  the 
total  extinction  of  "all  evil  members",  and  the  rooting 
out  of  all  sinful  passions  and  desires,  and  urged  the 
people  to  sink  away  utterly  in  the  merit  of  the  great 
Mediator,  and  to  be  entirely  resigned  to  God's  will. 

After  the  sermon  he  baptized  sixteen  children  in 
the  most  impressive  manner.  He  was  so  strength- 
ened during  this  inspiring  service,  that  at  its  close  he 
felt  better  than  at  its  beginning. 


360  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


November  7th  he  started  eastward,  visiting  the 
churches  on  his  way,  and  preaching  occasionally.  In 
Indiana  he  attended  a  quarterly  meeting,  where,  he 
says,  J.J.  Esher,  the  P.  E.,  preached  with  great  power. 
As  he  was  obliged  to  recuperate,  he  remained  a  few 
days,  attending  the  services  as  often  as  his  strength 
allowed. 

On  Sunday  morning  he  undertook  to  preach,  and 
to  conduct  the  sacramental  service.  His  text  was 
Rom.  0:  19-23,  and  the  sermon  was  a  great  effort. 
He  proclaimed  with  great  force  and  plainness  the 
doctrine  of  "entire  freedom".  He  always  defended 
the  doctrine  of  holiness  with  great  zeal,  and  insisted 
not  only  upon  instantaneous  conversion  through  faith 
in  Jesus,  but  also  upon  instantaneous  sanctification 
through  faith  in  Jesus.  He  believed  in  the  possibility 
of  living  without  sin  through  grace  and  sanctification 
of  the  Spirit.  He  labored  with  special  earnestness 
to  advance  true  purity  of  heart  and  life  in  the  Church. 

Nor  did  he  insist  on  either  outward  form  or  inward 
condition  alone,  but  both  together,  and  that  consist- 
ently. True,  Seybert  thought  much  of  external  sim- 
plicity, and  was  a  special  enemy  of  extravagance  and 
vain  display,  but  he  was  far  from  seeking  to  force 
upon  anyone  a  particular  cut  of  the  coat  or  anything 
of  that  sort.  A  stingy  or  dishonest  professor  got  no 
credit  from  him,  were  he  dressed  never  so  plainly. 

Bishop  J.  J.  Esher,  Bishop  Seybert's  spiritual  son, 
says : 

"  It  was  my  high  privilege  to  spend  six  weeks  of 
the  last  year  of  Bishop  Seybert's  life  in  his  company. 


Sunset, 


361 


He  assisted  me  in  holding  a  number  of  quarterly  and 
protracted  meetings  on  my  extended  district.  (Bishop 
Esher  was  then  a  Presiding  Elder.)  Seybert  was  so 
afflicted  most  of  the  time,  that  I  could  not  resist  the 
conviction  that  he  would  not  tarry  with  us  long.  I 
also  expressed  this  conviction  in  his  presence.  Still 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  services,  and  not  in  vain. 
We  had  glorious  revivals.  His  discourses  were  more 
than  ordinarily  unctuous,  instructive  and  powerful. 
Some  of  them  were  decidedly  master -pieces.  Espe- 
cially is  this  true  of  the  sermon  near  Wheeling,  on 
Isa.  55:6,  7.  His  remarks  on  the  phrase,  "And  he 
will  abundantly  pardon",  will  never  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  heard  them.  In  all  his  discourses  he  urged 
the  experience  and  practice  of  heart  purity.  When 
he  spoke  of  conversion  he  emphasized  the  necessity 
of  thorouofhlv  breaking  through  from  death  into  life, 
and  then  upon  this  well-laid  ground  to  complete  the 
edifice  of  holiness.  It  often  struck  me  as  remark- 
able with  what  ardor  and  solemn  earnestness  he  taught 
this. 

"  Though  he  was  often  so  feeble  that  he  could 
scarcely  get  from  his  lodgings  to  the  church,  yet  he 
took  the  most  active  part,  in  laboring  with  seekers, 
and  never  wanted  to  see  a  service  close,  so  long  as  a 
seeker  was  yet  unblessed  at  the  altar.  When  a  soul 
was  blessed,  and  sprang  up  like  the  lame  man  at  the 
beautiful  gate,  thrilled  with  the  power  of  a  new  life, 
the  Bishop  was  ready  to  sing  one  of  his  animated 
choruses, — such  as,  "O  happy  life"  (" O  seliges  Leben"), 
or,  "O  yonder  is  joy"  ("O  droben  ist  Freude").  . 


362  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


"It  is  well  known  how  he  delighted  to  be  present 
where  there  was  loud  shouting  and  animated  praise, 
but  it  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  he  ever  accepted 
this  commotion  in  lieu  of  the  real  substance  of  re- 
ligion. 

"Feeble  as  he  was  he  did  not  cease  to  visit  the 
people,  and  so  to  be  useful  in  private  as  well  as  in 
public. 

"  Feeling  that  Bishop  Seybert  would  not  long  be 
with  us,  I  observed  with  keen  scrutiny,  his  entire 
conduct,  for  I  wanted  to  improve  well  my  opportunity.. 
I  must  say  that  the  longer  I  was  with  him,  the  more 
deeply  was  I  impressed  that  he  lived  alone  for  God, 
and  cultivated  a  deeper  and  more  intimate  communion 
with  the  Redeemer,  than  even  appeared  from  his 
public  labors  and  success.  If  there  were  any  differ- 
ence between  his  teaching  and  his  life,  his  life  was 
superior  to  his  teachings;  he  lived  even  better  than 
he  taught. 

"At  the  time  when  he  wanted  to  start  eastward,  a 
cold  Autumn  storm  was  raging  and  an  icy  rain  was 
pouring  down.  I  admonished  him  to  spare  himself, 
and  to  go  per  railroad  to  Greensburgh,  Ohio,  where 
he  intended  to  spend  the  Winter,  and  offered  to  care 
for  his  horse  until  orders  from  him.  His  reply  was, 
1  That  would  of  course  be  much  pleasanter  to  go  by 
rail;  but  in  that  way  I  could  not  visit  the  friends  on 
the  way.' 

"This  explains  why  Bishop  Seybert  persisted  in  en- 
during the  hardships  of  traveling  with  a  horse  long 
after  the  swift  iron  horse  was  in  general  use.  —  He 


Sunset 


3^3 


could  not  look  after  the  work  in  detail  so  well,  nor 
get  among  the  smaller  rural  societies  by  personal 
visitation. 

"  'My  time  is  short,  and  I  want  to  improve  it  as 
well  as  possible,  and  I  guess  God  will  help  me 
through.'  Giving  me  his  paternal  blessing,  and  the 
parting  hand,  he  went  on.  In  a  few  weeks  it  was  an- 
nounced that  Bishop  Seybert  had  gone  home." 

December  4th  he  reached  the  State  of  Ohio, 
through  Indiana  and  Michigan.  December  16th  he 
came  to  Bro.  Loos,  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  a  local  preacher, 
and  tarried  several  days.  The  weather  was  cold. 
December  18th  he  preached  his  last  sermon  at  Bro. 
Kerns,  near  Lindsey,  Ohio,  using  one  of  his  favorite 
texts:  "  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  His 
righteousness,  and  all  these  things  shall  be  added 
unto  you.''  Christmas  he  attended  the  dedication  of 
a  church  at  Kern's,  near  Lindsay,  Ohio.  But  Bishop 
Long  preached  the  dedicatory  sermon, 

December  29th,  1859,  was  the  last  day  he  spent  on 
the  road.  He  arrived  on  that  day  from  Kern's  at  the 
residence  of  Bro,  Isaac  Parker,  four  miles  west  of 
Bellevue,  Ohio,  and  nearly  the  same  distance  north- 
west of  Flat  Rock.  Here  for  the  last  time  he  alighted 
from  his  conveyance.  Throwing  the  reins  of  his  horse 
over  a  fence-post,  and  taking  his  saddle  bags  on  his 
arm,  he  entered  the  home  of  Bro.  Parker  greatly 
exhausted.  He  never  went  any  further  in  his  travels. 
His  long  pilgrimage  should  close  under  that  roof;  his 
extensive  travels  ceased;  the  door  of  heaven  opened 
there;  he  was  not,  for  God  took  him.    On  the  day 


364  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


previous  —  the  28th  —  he  had  already  written  his  last 
journal  entry.*  His  intention,  however,  was  to  rest 
here  only  a  few  days. 

The  day  was  now  far  spent.  The  burden  of  life 
was  heavy.  But  he  complained  only  of  a  severe 
cold.  However,  fears  were  entertained  that  it  might 
prove  fatal,  and  medical  assistance  was  called,  but  in 
vain.  It  was  observed  that  he  was  sublimely  com- 
posed, and  everything  indicated  that  he  was  deeply 
conscious  of  his  approaching  end.  It  was  only  a  few 
days  thus.  These  days  he  spent  in  reading;  occa- 
sionally he  would  converse  in  low  tones,  of  God  and 
His  work.  He  never  missed  reading  his  usual  morn- 
ing lesson  in  the  Scripture,  and  his  pocket  Bible  lay 
by  his  side  on  a  chair  after  his  death.  It  was  the 
last  book  he  read.  Besides  this  his  favorite  authors 
were  Hiller,  Thomas  a'Kempis,  and  Tauler. 

The  last  night  he  slept  tolerably  well,  rose  in  the 
morning,  dressed  without  assistance,  and  joined  the 
family  at  breakfast,  eating  quite  heartily.  At  about 
eight  o'clock  he  sat  in  the  family  circle,  and  related  a 
remarkable  dream  he  had  during  the  night.  He  said 
he  dreamed  of  being  at  a  place  where  a  large  number 
of  preachers  were  together,  who  appeared  greatly 
delighted  at  his  arrival.  Upon  this  he  undertook  to 
shake  hands  with  them  all,  but  the  number  was  so 
great  that  it  seemed  he  could  not  get  through  with  it. 

After  relating"  this  dream  he  was  assisted  to  the 
lounge  upon  which  he  loved  to  recline  through  the 
day.    He  was  very  feeble,  but  did  not  lie  down.  He 

*  This  was,  suggestively  enough,  the  laconic  phrase  :—  u<me  ioul  sawed." 


Sunset. 


365 


sat,  folding  his  hands  with  the  innocent  grace  of  a 
child.  Mr.  3ark^,  somewhat, apprehensive,  hastened 
out  to  call  in  neighbors,  that  the  family  might  not  be 
alone  in  the  event  of  the  Bishop's  demise.  Mr.  Parker's 
son  remained  with  the  Bishop.  Suddenly  Seybert 
began  to  speak.  Said  he:  "How  terrible  death  must 
be  to  a  wicked  man!"  After  a  pause  he  remarked, 
"death  begins  at  the  extremities"  (pointing  down- 
ward with  his  hands),  "then  it  comes  further  up,  and 
when  it  gets  here  "  (laying  his  hand  upon  his  heart), 
"then  it  is  over.  So  I  too  will  fall  asleep."  They 
were  his  last  words.  His  voice  choked.  He  sank 
over  upon  the  lounge,  and  in  a  moment  more  the 
great  spirit  plumed  its  wings  for  everlasting  flight. 
Bishop  John  Seybert  was  dead,  It  was  January  4th, 
i860.  His  dream  had  become  reality.  In  an  hour 
after  relating  it,  he  was  on  "mount  Zion,  and  in  the 
city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and 
in  the  innumerable  company  of  angels,"  and  had 
come  "to  the  general  assembly  of  the  first-born,  and  to 
the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect."  This  occurred 
at  nine  o'clock  a.  M.  He  had  lived  sixty-eight  years; 
five  months  and  twenty-eight  days.  He  had  served 
well  his  day  and  generation,  had  brought  in  many 
sons  unto  o-lorv,  and  was  gathered  into  the  eternal 
mansions  in  peace.  The  homeless  wanderer  had 
reached  home  at  last 

"  How  sweet  the  hour  of  closing  dayv 
When  all  is  peaceful  and  serene, 
And  when  the  sun,  with  cloudless  ray. 
Sheds  mellow  lustre  o'er  the  scene. 


366  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


"  Such  is  the  Christian's  parting  hour  ; 

So  peacefully  he  sinks  to  rest ; 

When  faith,  endued  from  heaven  with  power, 

Sustains  and  cheers  his  languid  breast. 

"  Mark  but  the  radiance  of  his  eye, 
That  smile  upon  his  wasted  cheek ; 
They  tell  us  of  His  glory  nigh, 
In  language  that  no  tongue  can  speak. 

I 

"  A  beam  of  heaven  is  sent  to  cheer 
The  pilgrim  on  his  gloomy  road  ; 
And  angels  are  attending  near^ 
To  bear  him  to  their  bright  abode." 

Bishop  Seybert's  remains  were  buried  at  Flat  Rock 
cemetery,  January  6th.  The  day  was  cold,  and  the 
long  funeral  cortege  followed  the  hearse  in  sleighs  to 
the  old  stone  church  at  Flat  Rock,  Seneca  Co.,  Ohio, 
where  Bishop  Joseph  Long  preached  an  eloquent 
funeral  sermon  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  assemblage 
of  people  from  near  and  far.  The  text  was  Dan.  12:3, 
"And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness 
of  the  firmament;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  right- 
eousness, as  the  stars  forever  and  ever." 

The  Bishop  was  so  affected  that  at  first,  in  the 
struggle  with  his  emotions,  he  could  speak  but  very 
slowly.  He  spoke:  First,  of  the  work  of  the  Christ- 
ian teacher.  (The  German  translation  has  "teacher" 
instead  of  the  "wise".)  Secondly,  Of  the  Christian 
teachers'  glory  and  reward.  He  said,  such  a  teacher 
as  Seybert  shines  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament 
already  on  earth,  in  the  kingdom  of  grace.  In  his 
doctrine  he  thunders,  in  his  life  he  shines.    But  in  the 


Sunset 


367 


world  to  come  such  an  one  will  shine  like  the  stars  in 
heaven. 

Rev.  Charles  Hammer  and  Rev.  C.  G.  Koch  par- 
ticipated in  the  services.  A  Lutheran  minister 
offered  the  closing  prayer.  Owing  to  the  secluded 
location  and  the  shortness  of  the  time,  not  as  many 
ministers  were  present  as  would  have  seen  fitting  and 
desirable.  After  the  services,  an  opportunity  was 
given  to  look  once  more  upon  the  face  of  the  honored 
dead.  There  he  lay  as  if  asleep.  The  face  that  so 
often  had  shone  with  the  lustre  of  holy  joy,  was  pale 
in  death;  the  eyes  that  had  so  often  flashed  with  the 
fire  of  inspiration  were  closed;  the  lips  that  had  been 
so  eloquent,  when  the  message  of  salvation  burned 
upon  them,  were  silent.  The  remains  were  laid 
away  in  the  adjacent  city  of  the  dead,  where  he  now 
awaits  the  trumpet  call  of  the  first  resurrection,  not 
far  from  where  stands  Ebenezer  Orphan  Institute.  A 
simple,  but  appropriate  monument  marks  the  place  of 
his  rest,  and  is  the  chief  adornment  of  that  humble 
enclosure.  To  it  pilgrimages  have  been  made,  and 
many  an  itinerant  of  a  later  generation  has  stood  by 
that  mound  with  uncovered  head,  and  prayed  that  the 
mantle  of  this  hero  might  fall  upon  him. 

Slowly  and  sadly  the  mourners  retired  from  the 
spot  that  henceforth  would  be  hallowed  ground,  feel- 
ing that  a  mighty  man  of  valor  had  fallen  in  Israel. 
The  Church  for  a  while  felt  orphaned. 

There  were  no  human  relatives  present  to  mourn 
over  his  departure,  but  thousands  of  spiritual-kindred 
brethren,  sisters  and  sons  and  daughters,  — wept  for 


368 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seydert. 


one  who  had  been  to  them  a  minister  of  good.  Over 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  from  the  Atlantic 
ocean  to  the  Mississippi  river  and  beyond,  in  thou- 
sands of  homes,  the  people  mourned  for  this  simple, 
unassuming  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  At  Indianapolis, 
Naperville,  and  other  places,  impressive  funeral  ser- 
vices were  held,  churches  were  draped  in  mourning, 
and  the  people  wept  as  for  a  father. 

Three  months  after  his  obsequies,  the  Ohio  confer- 
ence assembled  in  the  Flat  Rock  church,  to  hold  its 
annual  session.  During  the  session,  formal  memorial 
services  were  held.  The  conference  marched  in  pro- 
cession to  the  grave,  followed  by  a  long  procession 
of  citizens  and  laymen.  Forming  a  circle  around  the 
mound  of  the  buried  Bishop,  the  presiding  Bishop, 
W.  W.  Orwig,  conducted  a  funeral  service  and  de- 
livered a  eulogy.  The  scene  was  affecting,  and  the 
conference  was  glad  for  the  opportunity  of  giving 
this  unique  but  fitting  tribute  of  honor  to  one  so 
worthy. 

At  a  public  sale  of  Bishop  Seybert's  personal 
effects,  the  members  of  the  church  and  other  citizens 
bought  the  different  articles  of  his  dress,  etc.,  as 
mementoes  of  this  remarkable  man.  Father  Weiker 
of  Bellevue  bought  his  horse  and  buggy.  Bro.  John 
Orwig  of  Bellevue  bought  his  peculiarly  made  coat, 
and  this  was  cut  up  into  shreds  and  given  away  to 
importunate  friends.  Another  bought  his  broad- 
rimned  hat,  etc.  This  indicates  the  interest  with 
which  this  great  and  good  man  was  regarded. 

Several  years  before  his  death,  Bishop  Seybert 


Sunset. 


369 


made  his  last  will  and  testament,  in  which  he  made 
the  Evangelical  Association  and  her  Institutions  his 
exclusive  hjir,  save  a  few  hundred  dollars  bequeathed 
to  friends.  Bishop  Long  was  named  as  his  executor. 
During  his  life  he  made  large  donations  to.  the  Church, 
and  practiced  a  singular  economy,  solely  for  the 
financial  benefit  of  the  Church.  Besides  ha  lost  more 
than  four  thousand  dollars,  because  parties  whom  he 
trusted  and  befriended,  proved  unfaithful  and  de- 
frauded him  of  his  possessions.  His  philanthropy 
was  often  poorly  rewarded,  and  perhaps  sometimes 
bestowed  upon  unworthy  objects.  Yet  he  had,  by 
his  great  simplicity  and  economy,  accumulated  quite 
a  respectable  estate,  which  fell  to  the  benefit  of  the 
Church  he  loved.  One  of  the  stipulations  of  his, 
testament  was,  that  none  of  his  money  should  be  em- 
ployed in  vain  display.  He  once  remarked:  "I 
have  declared  life-long  war  upon  fashions  and  extrav- 
agance, and  even  after  my  death  I  want  the  war  to 
continue,"  It  must  not  be  forgotten  to  mention 
either,  that  in  his  will  he  remembered  his  mother, 
who  was  then  living  as  yet,  who,  however,  died  but 
a  short  time  before  him. 

Bishop  Seybert  served  the  Church  a  period  of  forty 
years  in  the  holy  ministry.  From  the  time  of  his 
entering  upon  this  work  in  1820,  to  the  time  of  his 
death  in  i860,  he  never  turned  aside  from  the  ministry 
for  a  moment.  He  died  in  the  harness,  at  his  post. 
In  these  forty  years  he  traveled,  per  horse,  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  thousand  miles,  preached  about 
nine  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty  times,  made 
24 


37°  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


about  forty-six  thousand  pastoral  visits,  held  about 
eight  thousand  prayer  and  class  meetings,  besides 
visiting  at  least  ten  thousand  sick  and  afflicted  ones. 
This  seems  like  an  herculean  accomplishment,  But  his 
was  a  busy  life. 


Character. 


371 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

GENERAL  REMARKS. 
CHARACTER  OF  BISHOP  JOHN  SEYBERT. 

"  Who  builds  a  church  to  God  and  not  to  fame. 

Will  never  mark  the  marble  with  his  name/' — Alexander  Pope. 

John  Seybert  lived  for  the  unseen  world,  and 
therefore  this  present  world  has  largely  forgotten 
him.  Schiller's  assertion  that  History  is  Judg- 
ment",* is  not  always  true.  If  history  be  judgment, 
then  judgment  is  sometimes  unjust.  The  fact  is, 
if  a  man's  goodness  outshine  his  greatness,  the 
world  is  dazzled  and  blinded.  Hence  ordinary  his- 
tory leaves  the  best  men  to  lie  buried  in  obscurity. 
The  judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world  will  reverse 
the  verdict  of  history  in  more  than  one  instance. 
History,  cold  and  heartless  as  it  is,  may  be  man's 
best  judgment,  but  it  is  not  always  God's  judgment. 

The  man,  a  record  of  whose  life  is  herein  given  to 
the  English  portion  of  our  Church  and  of  the  world, 
is  an  illustration  of  this.  No  mere  man  ever  lived  a 
nobler  life  for  God  and  for  humanity  than  Bishop  John 
Seybert,  and  yet,  outside  of  the  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion, he  is  but  little  known  or  remembered.  Even  in 
his  denomination,  many  of  the  present  generation 


*  Die  Weltgeschiehte  ist  das  Weltgericht. 


372 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  SeyberL 


know  little  or  nothing  of  him.  "Tis  true,  'tis  pity,, 
and  pity  'tis,  'tis  true." 

John  Seybert  belongs  to  the  heroic  age  of  our 
Church.  There  were  p^'ia^s  in  those  days,  and  he 
was  one  of  them. 

He  was  a  typical  Evangelical  preacher,  an  embodi- 
ment of  all  that  is  distinctively  characteristic  of  the 
spirit  of  our  institutions  and  the  general  character  of 
our  ministry  as  conceived  by  the  sainted  founder  of 
our  Church,  Jacob  Albright.  The  spirit  of  aggression, 
the  fire  of  missionary  zeal,  the  desire  to  carry  the 
Bible  into  benighted  regions,  and  to  bring  the  Gospel 
where  no  other  church  would  condescend  to  go,  this 
is  characteristic  of  the  ministry  of  the  Evangelical 
Association,  and  distinguished  in  an  extraodinary 
degree  Bishop  Seybert.  We  are  no  interlopers,  nor 
proselyters,  but  pioneers  by  nature.  We  break  our 
own  stones  from  the  quarry,  and  do  not  shun  the  toil 
of  beginning  the  work  in  the  crude.  We  have  polished 
more  stones  for  others,  than  others  have  for  us. 
Seybert  delighted  in  "  breaking  the  ice",  as  he  called 
it.  Like  the  white  plumed  Prince  of  Navarre,  he  was 
always  seen  nearest  the  enemy's  lines,  where  the 
hardest  fighting  was  to  be  done,  where  danger  and 
need  were  greatest. 

He  was  no  creature  of  circumstances.  Circum- 
stances were  creatures  in  his  hands.  It  may  be  truth- 
fully said  that  he  did  more  to  mold  his  Church,  than 
his  Church  did  to  mold  him.  He  stamped  his  individ- 
uality upon  the  Evangelical  Association  and  infused 
her  with  his  spirit.     His  individuality  was  strong, 


Character. 


373 


unique  and  original.  He  won  the  admiration  and 
confidence  of  the  Church  tc  such  a  degree  that  she 
involuntarily  or  unconsciously  followed  his  example 
and  copied  his  ideal. 

He  was  one  of  those  men  who  are  not  easily 
molded  by  their  surroundings,  their  age,  or  their 
contemporaries.  Seybert  would  have  been  much 
the  same  man,  had  he  lived  in  any  other  age,  pro- 
vided he  had  become  a  subject  of  saving  grace. 
Had  he  lived  in  the  days  of  the  apostles  he  would 
have  been  another  Paul.  Our  bachelor-bishop  indeed 
reminds  one  strikingly,  in  so  many  instances,  of  the 
great  bachelor-apostle.  He  exhibited  the  same  rest- 
less zeal  and  tireless  activity ;  the  same  absolute 
devotion  to  the  Lord  and  His  cause  ;  the  same  talent 
of  adaptability  ;  the  same  quickness  of  movement 
which  made  him  almost  ubiquitous;  the  same  fearless- 
ness in  danger  and  intrepidity  among  enemies;  the 
same  holy  ambition  not  to  build  on  other  men's  founda- 
tions, but  to  preach  the  Gospel  where  others  had  not 
been;  the  same  simplicity  in  preaching;  the  same 
abundance  in  labor;  the  same  grand  success. 

In  personal  appearance,  Bishop  Seybert  was  not 
prepossessing,  but  singular.  Of  ordinary  height,  he 
possessed  a  robust  frame,  somewhat  spare  in  flesh; 
his  eyes  were  blue,  his  forehead  was  large,  his  chin 
prominent;  an  artless  expression  of  deep  earnestness, 
relieved  by  the  light  of  benevolence  and  the  lustre  of 
Christian  joy,  played  upon  his  features.  His  manner 
was  frank  as  his  face,  his  movements  agile  and  ner- 
vous.   The  general  effect  of  his  physique  was  height- 


374  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


ened  by  his  peculiarly  plain  and  artless  garb.  He 
was  thoroughly  a  homespun  man.  He  wore  a  broad- 
rimmed,  stiff  felt  hat  after  the  manner  of  itinerants 
fifty  years  ago ;  his  coat,  closing  up  to  the  neck,  was 
adorned  with  a  thick  row  of  large  buttons;  his 
trousers  were  of  corduroy;  his  feet  were  covered  with 
common  leather  shoes  tied  with  strings.  Altogether 
his  appearance  was  unique,  original,  remarkable.  But 
it  was  not  affected;  it  was  part  of  the  man,  and  was 
thoroughly  consistent  with  his  radical  sentiments  on 
the  subject  of  dress.  He  believed  gaudy,  costly, 
and  fashionable  dress  to  be  inconsistent  with  a  Christ- 
ian profession,  and  incompatible  with  the  Christian 
spirit,  but  he  did  not  ask  any  one  to  imitate  the  cut 
of  his  coat,  nor  to  comb  his  hair  as  he  did,  straight 
down. 

Bishop  Seybert's  intellect  was  acute  and  practical, 
rather  than  massive  and  sentimental.  Though  de- 
prived of  a  classical  education  in  youth,  his  intellect 
was  by  no  means  without  culture.  He  possessed  the 
power  of  concentration  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and 
his  analytical  abilities  were  of  a  high  order.  The 
ardor  of  his  soul  made  his  mind  the  stronger,  and 
enabled  him  to  penetrate  to  the  very  heart  of  Scritp- 
ure  truth.  His  sucessful  careeer,  under  the  disadvan- 
tages of  his  time  and  circumstances,  is  the  best 
evidence  that  his  mind  was  one  of  extraordinary 
power.  Besides,  during  his  entire  life  he  cultivated 
his  intellectual  faculties  by  reading  the  best  German 
authors.  When  we  take  into  account  that  he  neces 
sarily  spent  most  of  his  time  on  the  back  of  his  horse, 


Character. 


375 


it  is  a  mystery  how  he  managed  to  read  so  many 
books,  and  master  such  ponderous  volumes  of  Ger- 
man lore.  The  result  was,  that  he  attained  great 
thoroughness  in  the  treatment  of  themes,  and  great 
versatility  in  Scripture  exposition. 

He  was  a  man  of  strong,  positive  convictions.  He 
lived  for  his  convictions,  and  maintained  them  with  a 
tenacity  and  enthusiasm  which  at  times  laid  him  open 
to  the  charge  of  stubbornness.  But  he  was  not  stub- 
born. He  had  reached  his  conviction  by  prolonged 
study,  keen  observation,  and  extensive  experience, — 
and  convictions  which  a  sincere  mind  attains  in  that 
way  are  not  easy  to  give  up.  Besides,  he  founded 
his  beliefs  in  the  Scriptures  and  defended  them  by 
an  appeal  to  the  Book  of  books.  He  rested  on  the 
authority  of  God,  and  held  to  nothing  that  he  did  not 
believe  to  be  Scriptural.  He  was  a  keen  observer 
of  little  things,  and  to  a  modern  mind  appears  tinged 
at  least  with  something  of  superstition.  This  may  be 
true,  but  let  him  who  is  actually  innocent  of  the  least 
superstition,  even  in  our  day,  cast  the  first  stone. 

In  conversation  Seybert  was  affable  and  entertain- 
ing. He  was  never  morose,  always  cheerful  and 
active.  But  his  conversation  did  not  take  a  wide 
range  of  subjects,  —  unless  it  be  conceded  that  the 
one  subject  of  religion  is  large  enough  for  a  great 
man  during  his  entire  lifetime.  God  and  His  cause, 
was  his  theme  in  private  conversation;  and  his  aim 
was,  in  every  case  to  advance  the  spiritual  interests 
of  those  with  whom  he  conversed.  Thus  his  con- 
versation was  chiefly  profitable,  but  by  no  means  un- 


376  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert 


entertaining.  Sinners  he  exhorted  to  seek  God,  and 
saints  he  admonished  to  faithfulness.  He  was  never 
frivolous  nor  worldly  in  his  conversation.  Withal, 
his  deportment  in  the  family  was  modest,  cleanly, 
sociable  and  kindly.  His  influence  in  this  regard  was 
always  the  best. 

In  the  pulpit  Seybert  was  indeed  a  power.  The 
reader  of  these  pages  can  find  ample  evidence  of  that. 
His  public  ministrations  were  marvelous  for  spirit- 
uality. That  was  his  chief  characteristic;  he  had  an 
unction  of  the  Holy  One;  he  was  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  mighty  in  the  Scriptures.  This  was  be- 
cause his  preparation  was  made  chiefly  by  prayer, 
and  the  study  of  the  Word  of  God. 

His  matter  was  choice,  and  largely  original.  That 
is  to  say,  he  drew  it  forth  himself  from  the  Fountain 
of  the  Word,  rather  than  using  the  artificial  helps  of 
too  many  commentaries.  Consequently  he  was  al- 
ways fresh  and  alive.  He  never  grew  "stale,  flat  and 
unprofitable".  No  man  will,  who  goes  to  the  Fount- 
ain for  his  supplies.  He  seldom  dealt  in  speculative 
abstractions,  but  was  a  master  in  the  art  of  making 
Scripture  truth  practical,  and  in  bringing  it  down  to 
the  comprehension  of  the  people.  He  gave  the  truth 
a  handle. 

His  manner  was  always  animated  and  nervous, 
and,  when  he  was  in  the  tide  of  impassioned  speech, 
even  imposing.  He  swept  along  with  electrifying 
enthusiasm,  carrying  his  auditors  irresistibly  with 
him.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  him  to  electrify 
his  audience  to  such  a  degree  that  their  demonstra- 


Character. 


377 


tions  quite  drowned  out  the  speakers  voice.  When 
he  reproved  sin,  he  did  it  with  a  keenness  that  is 
hardly  attempted  in  our  day;  when  he  spoke  of  the 
Redeemer,  he  presented  Him  in  inspiring  glory  and 
grace. 

His  language  was  terse,  his  sentences  direct  and 
incisive,  his  propositions  comprehensive  and  compact. 
He  was  plain  in  his  speech,  as  he  was  plain  in  dress. 
He  cared  nothing  for  ornamentation,  or  for  the  polish 
of  rhetorical  grace.  He  had  a  rhetoric  of  his  own, 
and  that,  like  everything  else  about  him,  was  adapted 
to  practical  purposes. 

The  same  was  true  of  his  homiletical  arrangement. 
There  was  no  far-fetched,  fanciful  division  of  points. 
He  treated  his  text  naturally,  logically  and  practically. 
Judged  from  the  effects  of  his  preaching,  he  was  in- 
deed a  great  preacher.  What  pungent  conviction 
was  produced!  what  enthusiasm  was  inspired!  what 
results  were  achieved!  In  this  respect  he  has  far  out- 
done many  more  famous  preachers. 

This  was  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  he  was  always 
and  only  a  soul-saver.  Whatever  he  did,  was  done 
with  this  in  view.  He  prayed,  he  studied,  he  rode, 
he  talked,  he  preached  for  souls,  and  realized  his 
desire. 

Bishop  Seybert's  Christian  character,  it  is  almost 
needless  to  say,  was  irreproachable.  He  loved  God 
with  all  his  heart,  and  his  neighbor  as  himself.  His 
life  proved  this.  His  religion  was  no  mere  sentiment; 
it  was  the  living,  ruling  principle  of  his  soul.  He 
was  the  most  consistent  of  men.    He  lived  not  for 


378  Life  and  Labors  of  fohn  Seybert. 

himself,  but  for  God  and  for  humanity.  He  was  con- 
secrated to  that.    It  was  the  only  thing  he  did. 

The  Evangelical  Association  can  be  justly  proud  of 
Bishop  Seybert.  He  was  a  great  man,  who  owed  his 
greatness  to  his  goodness.  His  character  was  so 
genuine,  his  disposition  so  serene,  his  life  so  pure  and 
consistent,  his  career  so  illustrious,  and  his  success  so 
magnificent,  that  his  name  will  prove  one  of  the 
brightest  on  our  escutcheon,  and,  whatever  the  sur- 
prises and  glory  of  the  future,  the  lustre  of  Bishop 
Seybert's  career  will  never  be  less. 

"  He  was  a  man,  take  him  for  all  in  all, 
We  shall  not  look  upon  his  like  again." 


In  order  that  the  reader  may  have  some  idea  of  the 
opinion  which  Bishop  Seybert's  contemporaries  enter- 
tained concerning  him,  we  subjoin  a  few  extracts  from 
various  sources. 

TRIBUTE  TO  THE  MEMORY  OF  BISHOP  SEYBERT. 

The  following  appeared  in  the  Evangelical  Messen- 
ger of  February  23d,  i860.    It  was  written  by  T,  M. 

Young: 

Like  a  lone  devotee  at  evening  kneeling 

In  the  cold  shadow  of  a  temple  dim, 

Sees  not  the  sable  night  shades  round  him  falling, 

Lulled  by  the  music  of  the  vesper  hymn  ; 

So  in  the  twilight  still  I  linger 

With  aching  heart  that  craATes  a  healing  balm. 

"While  memory,  like  a  sweet-toned  cherub,  singing, 

Soothes  my  sad  spirit  with  a  plaintive  psalm. 


Character. 


379 


Our  Father  !  whom  we  mourn  with  vain  affliction, 
Thou  art  the  theme  of  memory's  tender  strain, 
The  thought  of  thee  is  like  a  benediction 
Invoking  peace  upon  our  selfish  pain ; 
For  like  a  dove  with  olive  branch  returning 
From  life's  dark  waters  to  the  sheltering  ark, 
Thy  soul  with  holy  peace  was  fondly  yearning, 
To  fold  its  pinions  in  death's  peaceful  barque. 

Oh  !  with  what  bitter  grief  the}T  saw  thee,  languish, 
Like  the  doomed  victim  of  the  venomed  asp. 
Schooling  thyself  to  smile  at  thine  own  anguish 
That  loved  ones  might  not  mark  its  deadly  grasp. 
Self-sacrificing  at  affection's  altar, 
Thy  spirit,  like  the  faithful  carrier  dove, 
Nerved  its  faint  pinions  ne'er  to  droop  nor  falter, 
Upon  its  mission  of  untiring  love. 

Ah !  memory  turning  o'er  her  written  pages, 

Findeth  few  records  of  a  life  like  thine. 

Thy  faith  was  placed  upon  the  Kock  of  Ages, 

Meek  charity,  and  blessed  hope  divine. 

And  Oh  !  rare  mind,  so  free  from  falsehood's  leaven 

That  from  false  seeming  did  thy  soul  rebel. 

Not  with  thy  prayers  alone  didst  thou  seek  heaven, 

But  through  a  life  of  faith,  and  love,  as  well. 

No !  thou  wast  not  content  with  life's  devotion, 

Nor  yet  with  one  for  this  sad  world  too  nice, 

Like  fancy  frost-work,  on  life's  turbid  ocean, 

A  temple  wondrous  fair,  but  made  of  ice ! 

No!  thy  soul,  with  sympathies  divinely  human, 

Could  feel  for  others'  woe  and  help  their  need. 

Thou  wast  a  gentle,  charitable  Christian, 

A  Christian  both  in  thought,  and  word,  and  deed. 

Though  thou  hast  left  us  for  }7on  realms  elysian, 
Thy  seeming  presence  doth  my  being  thrill. 


380  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

So  deeply  art  thou  mirrored  in  my  vision, 
Where'er  I  turn  I  seem  to  see  thee  stili ! 
The  night-winds  sigh  seems  like  thy  soft  voice  calling, 
The  moon-beams  like  the  light  of  thy  calm  eyes, 
And  the  twinkling  stars  are  to  my  spirit  singing  : 
"  Thus,  thus  the  righteous  liveth  :  and  thus  the  righteous 
dies  ! " 

The  efforts  vain,  to  calm  the  pain  b}'  steeping 
In  many  tears  the  wound  of  such  a  grief ; 
For  e'en  the  solace  of  ungoverned  weeping, 
Hath  not  the  power  to  yield  my  heart  relief. 
For  memory's  burning  pen  too  deeply  traces, 
The  bitter  moments  when  all  hope  expires. 
Not  e'en  the  lapsing  waves  of  time  effaces, 
From  the  grieved  heart  those  characters  of  fire. 

The  editor  of  the  Evangelical  Messenger  paid  this 
tribute  to  the  Bishop's  character. 

Bishop  Seybert  was  a  man  of  toil.  Trained  to 
habits  of  industry  from  his  youth,  being  naturally  of 
an  active  nature,  and  reared,  not  in  the  lap  of  luxury, 
but  amidst  rigid  economy,  self-denial,  and  hardships, 
his  early  life  qualified  him  in  a  very  great  measure  to 
become,  what  he  really  was,  one  of  the  most  indefatig- 
able workers  that  the  world  ever  saw.  Few  men,  if 
any,  either  on  this  continent  or  Europe,  in  ancient  or 
modern  times,  preached  more  sermons,  visited  more 
families,  and  traveled  more  miles,  than  did  old  father 
Seybert,  and  we  doubt  whether  Paul  himself  would 
be  an  exception.  And  in  speaking  of  his  travels,  it 
should  here  be  remarked  that  he  very  seldom  made 
use  of  public  conveniences,  but  always  traveled  by 
his  own  private  conveyance.  .  As  a  pattern  of  indus- 
try he  deserves  to  be  held  up  to  the  imitation  of  all. 


Character. 


As  a  preacher  he  was  practical.  He  cared  but 
little  for  the  purity  of  style,  excellency  and  force  of 
delivery,  clearness  of  diction,  impressive  and  correct 
language  and  gestures,  or  any  of  the  peculiar  charac- 
teristics of  the  orator.  But  what  he  neglected  in  this, 
was  more  than  made  up  by  his  intense  earnestness. 
Everybody  saw  that  the  plain,  unassuming,  active 
man  before  him,  was  altogether  in  earnest,  and  if  he 
could  not  see  it,  he  was  sometimes  made  to  feel;  for 
a  man  had  to  know  distinctly  on  whose  side  he  was,  if 
he  would  be  sure  to  escape  the  arrows  of  truth  that 
he  flung  by  a  muscular  arm  from  his  bow  of  steel. 
His  lips  spoke  earnest  words,  his  eyes  flashed  earn- 
estness, his  countenance,  and  that  inimitable  nod  of 
his  head,  all  declared  him  to  be  in  earnest.  Four 
years  ago  we  heard  him  preach  in  Philadelphia;  and 
in  the  course  of  his  remarks  he  said:  "I  wish  to  have 
it  said,  when  I  am  dead,  that  Seybert  was  a  practical 
preacher."  We  say  this  of  him  now,  not  to  gratify 
his  wish,  but,  as  every  one  that  ever  heard  him 
knows,  in  order  to  adhere  strictly  to  the  truth. 

But  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  be  doctrinal 
and  argumentative  in  order  to  be  truly  practical;  for 
it  became  his  duty  to  combat  error,  as  well  as  preach 
positive  Gospel  truth;  and  in  listening  to  him,  many 
a  one  of  far  greater  pretensions  to  learning  has  been 
astonished  to  perceive  the  evidence  of  a  rich  fund  of 
knowledge  dart  forth  like  flashes  of  light  from  his 
discourses. 

Being  very  plain,  and  somewhat  eccentric  in  his 
dress,  he  was  the  avowed  and  uncompromising  enemy 


382  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


of  the  gew-gaws  and  fooleries  of  fashion.  Many  a 
hard  blow  has  he  dealt,  and  many  a  conscience  has 
he  made  to  smart,  when  he  came  to  speak  of  this.  It 
was  a  subject  on  which  he  always  grew  warm,  and  if 
his  rebukes  were  not  very  chaste  in  style,  or  his  zeal 
duly  tempered  with  discretion,  yet  his  worst  enemy 
(if  he  really  had  any,  which  is  doubtful,)  could  not 
deny  that  every  word  he  spoke  bore  upon  it  the  im- 
press of  an  honest  heart. 

His  ecclesiastical  statesmanship  was  of  a  very 
respectable  character,  and  considering  the  intensity 
of  his  nature,  his  views  were  often  remarkably  broad 
and  liberal.  But  it  was  not  in  this  that  he  particu- 
larly excelled.  He  was  no  intriguer  at  all;  slyness 
or  cunning  could  not  have  found  a  nook  or  corner  in 
his  honest  heart.  He  was  always  a  much  better 
worker  than  schemer,  and  in  administering  the  Dis- 
cipline, he  coupled  a  remarkable  degree  of  mildness 
with  his  firmness.  As  a  presiding  officer  he  knew 
his  place;  never  forgetting  that  he  was  to  maintain 
order  amidst,  and  not  participate  in,  the  debates  of  a 
conference  until  the  time  for  him  to  speak  came.  He 
has  always  received  the  credit  of  conducting  the 
business  of  a  conference  with  dispatch. 

Like  Paul  the  apostle,  and  the  devoted  Asbury,  the 
first  bishop  of  the  American  Methodist  E.  Church, 
Bishop  Seybert  was  never  married.  We  are  half  in- 
clined to  believe  he  had  no  time  to  marry,  or  at  least 
preferred  to  spend  all  his  time  in  the  immediate  ser- 
vice of  his  Master,  rather  than  permit  the  cares  and 
responsibilities  of  married  life,  to  distract  his  atten- 


Character. 


383 


tion  from  the  great  and  all  absorbing-  work  of  saving' 
souls.  Hence  he  has  no  heirs,  and  the  few  thousand 
dollars  that  were  left  of  a  patrimony  which  was  made 
to  contribute  freely  to  the  cause  of  Christ  during  life, 
was  bequeathed,  in  his  last  will,  to  the  same  purpose. 
Three  thousand  dollars  he  willed  to  the  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Evangelical  Association,  and  two  thou- 
sand to  the  "  Charitable  Society  of  the  Evangelical 
Association"  located  at  Orwigsburg,  Schuylkill  Co.,  Pa. 
This  noble  example  is  worthy  of  imitation !  Minor 
bequests  he  made  to  other  parties. 

He  may  be  said  to  have  grown  up  with  the  Church 
over  whose  councils  he  presided  for  many  years.  He 
joined  it  when  she  had  a  membership  of  but  426, 
with  three  circuits,  and  but  five  effective  intinerant 
preachers,  and  the  entire  territory  covering  but  a 
few  counties  in  eastern  and  central  Pennsylvania. 
He  leaves  it  now  with  a  membership  of  40,000;  320 
itinerant  preachers,  many  of  them  his  sons  in  the 
Gospel,  and  her  territories  expanded  over  all  the 
Middle  and  Western  States,  Canada,  and  a  branch 
even  in  Germany.  Well  may  his  soul  glow  in  raptures 
while  he  contemplates  the  goodness  of  God  toward 
our  little  Zion,  with  whose  spiritual  and  temporal 
interests  he  had  been  identified  for  a  life-time. 


Bishop  W.  W.  Orwig,  in  his  eulogy  at  the  grave 
of  Seybert,  said:  u  Bishop  Seybert  was  a  man,  a 
Christian  and  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  who  has  had 
few  equals  in  the  Church,  and  who  is  unexcelled  in 
the  faithfulness,  zeal  and  industry  with  which  he  per- 


384  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


formed  the  duties  of  his  calling.  He  was  a  man, 
who,  like  Barnabas,  was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
of  faith,  and  who,  wherever  he  was  known,  was 
esteemed  and  loved,  as  has  been  abundantly  shown 
since  his  demise  by  the  tears  of  the  people,  both  with- 
in and  without  the  Church.  May  his  example  of 
piety,  faithfulness  and  activity  be  an  undying  inspira- 
tion to  the  entire  Evangelical  Association  and  to  her 
ministry,  and  always  find  enthusiastic  imitation,  and 
may  all  of  us  follow  his  faith !  " 

The  editor  the  Christliche  Botschafter  gave  the 
following  estimate  of  the  man: 

"Thus  lived  and  died  a  man  whose  memory  will 
survive  in  thousands  of  grateful  hearts,  and  will  con- 
tinue even  to  future  generations.  True,  he  did  not 
take  a  place  among  the  learned  and  great  in  the 
earth;  no  title,  such  as  "  D.  D."  ornamented  his  name. 
He  passed  through  the  world,  quite  plain  and  unpre- 
tentious, and  yet  we  would  ask,  where  are  the  men 
of  his  times  who  have  done  more  good,  who  have  led 
more  souls  to  the  Fountain  of  Life,  and  who  have  been 
a  greater  blessing  than  he?  If  other  noble  men  have 
labored  successfully  in  their  sphere,  he  has  certainly 
done  so  no  less,  in  his  sphere  of  operations,  notwith- 
standing that  his  achievements  have  not  been  appre- 
ciatively judged  by  the  learned  world  and  by  high 
churchly  divines.  But  history  names  One  who  was 
served  no  better. 

4<  Bishop  Seybert  wTas  an  itinerant  preacher  in  the 
fullest  sense  of  the  term.    Like  Paul  he  chose  the 


Character. 


385 


unmarried  state,  as  presenting  the  fewest  hindrances 
in  the  service  of  the  Gospel  to  which  he  was  wholly 
devoted.  We  doubt  whether  any  preacher  in  our 
Church  has  traveled  more  than  he,  or  visited  more 
families. 

"To  many  he  was  a  father  in  Israel.  Eternity  alone 
will  reveal  the  number  of  souls  which  this  man  has 
saved. 

"True,  he  was  human  and  had  human  infirmities, 
defects  and  peculiarities,  but  we  may  boldly  assert, 
that  no  sinful  infirmities  or  habits  were  to  be  seen  in 
his  conduct.  A  principal  feature  of  his  tharacter  was 
his  gentleness  and  toleration,  notwithstanding  the 
severity  with  which,  in  his  sermons,  he  attacked 
men's  sins  and  the  vices  of  the  times.  He  was  a 
childlike,  harmless  servant  of  the  Master,  whose 
exalted  pattern  he  sought  to  imitate.  He  was  un- 
selfish in  his  devotion  to  his  calling.  While  the  pre- 
lates of  the  Romish  church,  and  of  other  ecclesias- 
tical hierarchies  lived  in  luxury  and  splendid  ease, 
he  traveled  and  exposed  himself,  and  was  satisfied 
with  a  salary  of  $100,  and  frequently  paid  his  frugal 
bills  from  his  own  private  purse. 

"Though  he  was  not  celebrated  as  a  pulpit  orator;, 
though  he  freely  allowed  his  hearers  to  perceive 
that  the  Pennsylvania  German  dialect  was  his  native 
tongue,  yet  no  one  could  doubt  that  he  spoke  from 
the  depth  of  profound  conviction  and  intelligent  faith. 
His  words  came  from  the  heart  and  reached  the  heart, 
and  this  especially  when,  as  was  so  often  the  case,  he 
spoke  under  the  overwhelming  power  of  the  Holy 
25 


386 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seyberi. 


Ghost.  Whatever  men  may  have  thought  of  his 
oratory,  all  agreed  that  he  was  a  good  and  pious 
man;  even  his  strongest  opposers  granted  this.  —  But 
what  need  of  describing  a  man  so  generally  known 
throughout  the  Evangelical  Association,  and  whose 
loss  almost  every  member  personally  feels? 

"  But  no  special  institution  in  the  kingdom  of  God 
was  so  precious  to  him,  or  so  fully  enlisted  his  sym- 
pathies as  the  holy  missionary  cause.  He  was  indeed 
a  whole-souled  missionary;  he  possessed  a  genuine 
missionary  spirit,  and  lived  in  the  cause  of  missions, 
for  which  reason  also,  by  far  the  largest  portion  of 
his  property  was  devoted  to  this  noble  institution." 

A  writer,  whose  name  does  not  appear,  in  the 
Christliche  Botschafter  of  March  17th,  i860,  said: 

"  His  simplicity  and  humility,  his  sincerity  and 
conscientiousness,  his  gentleness  toward  his  fellow- 
men,  his  intense  opposition  against  unrighteousness, 
his  great  talents  and  extensive  knowledge,  above  all 
his  untiring  and  self-denying  zeal  for  the  honor  of 
God  and  the  welfare  of  mankind,  all  this  and  much 
more  that  is  excellent,  has  made  him  loved  and 
honored,  as  few  mortals  have  been  loved  and  hon- 
ored. 

"  He  was  a  master  in  Israel.  He  possessed  the 
qualifications  of  a  theologian  and  of  a  successful 
preacher  in  a  high  degree.  His  conception  of  truth 
was  thorough  and  evangelical,  and  his  charmed 
listeners  found  many  a  pearl  of  truth  in  his  chaste 
and  simple  sermons.    It  is  true,  his  discourses  were 


Character. 


387 


plain,  and  it  has  been  said  that  he  was  no  pulpit  ora- 
tor in  the  usual  acceptation  of  that  term ;  but  it  is  also 
true,  that  he  was  one  among  a  thousand  in  his  mastery 
of  an  audience,  carrying  them  with  him  with  irresist- 
ible power,  and  few  retain  their  freshness  and  mental 
vigor  to  the  last,  as  did  Bishop  Seybert.  Beyond  all 
this,  the  thousands  of  souls  whom  he  was  instrumental 
in  saving,  who  are  partly  on  earth,  and  partly  in 
heaven,  are  the  most  precious  proofs  of  his  efficiency 
and  success.  The  children  whom  he  has  begotten  in 
the  Gospel,  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  Evangelical 
Association,  and  in  all  the  various  positions  in  the 
Church,  from  the  presiding  elder  to  the  Sunday- 
school  scholar,  and  the  fact  that  so  large  a  portion 
of  his  converts  are  found  in  our  ministry,  and  that 
perhaps  each  of  our  eight  conferences  numbers  such 
among  its  preachers,  is  a  particular  proof  of  his  great 
power. 

"But  he  was  especially  also  'a  man  full  of  faith  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost'.  He  began  his  Christian  life  and 
official  career  with  a  profound,  thorough  conversion, 
and  right  here  lies,  at  least  in  great  part,  the  secret 
of  his  remarkably  fruitful  ministry.  In  consequence 
of  his  sound  conversion  and  rich  experience  in  the 
grace  of  God,  his  life  was  eminently  pious,  his  self- 
denial  positive,  and  his  faith  in  God  immovable.  To 
live  for  God  and  his  cause  was  the  high  and  single 
purpose  of  his  life,  and  few  accomplished  this  as  he 
did. 

"We  are  told,  4had  he  spared  himself  more,  he  might 
still  be  living/    Granted.    But  he  could  not  spare 


388  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


himself;  he  was  bound  by  solemn  obligations  to  labor 
while  it  was  day,  and  not  to  cease  until  the  night 
should  come,  and  he  was  conscientiously  determined 
to  keep  his  vows.  He  would  fulfill  his  commission 
to  the  utmost,  and  feared  to  do  less  than  he  could. 

"The  Evangelical  Association,  which  he  so  dearly 
loved,  bears  the  impress  of  his  influence  on  all  sides, 
and  that  as  deeply  as  she  now  mourns  his  departure. 
In  every  enterprise  which  had  for  its  object  the 
progress  of  the  Lord's  work  and  the  increase  of  our 
Church,  Bishop  Seybert  was  the  foremost  in  zeal  and 
-activity." 

"  In  conclusion — though  I  am  by  no  means  through, 
—  in  him  God  gave  to  our  Association  in  its  infancy 
a  man  who  will  stand  to  future  years  as  an  example 
and  pattern,  especially  for  our  dear  brethren  in  the 
ministry.  We  have  had  him  with  us  for  a  long 
time,  and  yet  we  lost  him  before  we  were  ready 
to  give  him  up.  But  we  thank  God,  that  He  gave 
him  to  us,  and  pray  that  henceforth  the  spirit  which 
was  in  Seybert  may  be  diffused  through  our  Associa- 
tion from  the  senior  bishop  to  the  youngest  member; 
then  we  shall  have  a  future  for  which  the  circle  of  the 
earth  will  not  be  too  great,  nor  the  heavens  too  high." 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


389 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

BEING  EXTRACTS   FROM   THE  SERMONS,   ETC.,  LECTURES, 
CONVERSATIONS  AND  LETTERS  OF  BISHOP  JOHN 
SEYBERT,  ON  DIFFERENT  SUBJECTS. 

We  have  but  very  few  of  Bishop  Seybert's  sermons 
on  record,  and  not  one  of  those  that  we  have  is  com- 
plete. It  was  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  his  cotempo- 
raries  not  to  note  down  more  of  his  sermons  and 
lectures.  Seybert  himself  left  no  manuscript  copies 
of  his  sermons.  He  seldom,  if  ever,  wrote  sermons. 
This  is  to  be  regretted.  His  sermons  and  lectures 
would  form  a  contribution  to  our  denominational 
literature  of  inestimable  value.  Words  of  such  power 
as  his,  should  not  have  been  permitted  to  die.  As  it 
is,  they  only  live  in  their  perpetual  results.  We  give 
in  this  chapter  so  much  as  is  accessible. 


SERMON  ON  JOB. 

My  text  is  the  book  of  Job,  and  from  this  I  will 
preach  without  a  sketch,  praying  that  the  eternal  God 
may  add  His  blessing,  power  and  life! 

Much  has  already  been  spoken  and  written  about 
Job,  but  right  here  in  the  first  chapter  I  find  some- 
thing about  him  that  no  one  has  yet  clearlv  brought 
out  —  namely,  that  Job  was,  at  the  same  time,  both 
very  rich  and  very  pious!  Is  not  that  a  rare  case? 
(Pause.)  I  guess  he  was  entirely  sanctified.  Wonder 
whether  there  is  another  Job  to  be  found  now-a-days 


390 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


in  the  Church?  I  doubt  whether  there  is  one  in  the 
Evangelical  Association.  We  have  people  who  are 
as  pious  as  Job  was,  but  they  are  not  so  rich.  Great 
God,  how  important  it  is  that  our  rich  professors  of 
religion  should  be  entirely  redeemed  and  purified 
from  all  vanity,  pride,  avarice,  and  worldly-minded- 
ness!  O  that  the  generation  of  Jobs  might  increase t 
Here  I  find  something  in  the  fifth  verse  that  each 
father  should  take  to  heart.  Job  offered  burnt- offer- 
ings every  day  for  his  children,  for  he  thought  they 
might  have  sinned.  This  wealthy  and  respectable 
man  was  very  much  concerned  for  the  salvation  of 
his  children.  He  was  not  satisfied  with  their  worldly 
prosperity  —  he  had  great  anxiety  for  the  salvation  of 
their  souls.  Fathers  and  mothers,  how  is  it  with  you? 
Do  you  also  pray  and  bring  daily  offerings  to  God  in 
behalf  of  your  children,  that  they  may  not  be  over- 
come of  the  world  and  of  Satan?  Or  are  you  satisfied 
if  your  son  is  a  greedy  speculator,  and  your  uncon- 
verted daughter  struts  about  in  such  display  that 
one's  horse  gets  frightened  at  her  and  attempts  to 
run  away,  when  passing  her  on  the  street?  O,  ye 
parents,  learn  from  this  pious  man  to  observe  your 
family  worship  daily,  and  let  the  offering  of  living, 
believing  prayer,  often  ascend  for  your  children.  But 
you  must  also  be  right,  and  live  right  before  them,  or 
it  will  avail  nothing.  We  next  find  that  the  children 
of  God  met  together,  either  at  Job's  house,  or  in  his 
neighborhood,  verse  7.  Some  think  these  "  sons  of 
God "  were  the  holy  angels.  I  will  allow  them  to 
have  their  opinion,  but  I  shall  take  the  Word  just  as  it 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


39i 


stands  ;  I  think  it  must  have  been  a  meeting  of  real 
live  children  of  God  —  human  beings  who  were 
soundly  converted  —  for  if  there  was  a  Job  at  that 
time,  there  were  also,  it  is  likely,  other  pious  persons. 
These  held  a  meeting,  and  behold,  Satan  came  in 
also.  And  so  he  does  to  this  day — but,  hallelujah!  the 
eternal  God  was  there  among  His  children,  for  they 
had  come  before  God  with  prayer,  hungering  and 
thirsting  after  righteousness.  Satan  was  behind  time. 
(Here  the  Bishop  described  the  schemes  and  tricks 
of  the  devil  in  trying  to  hinder  the  Word  and  Work 
of  God  in  congregations,  and  then  continued:)  But 
here  I  come  to  a  point  that  could  never  yet  be  found 
out  by  the  wisdom  of  the  world,  but  only  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  It  is  too  deep  for  me,  it  is  such  a 
depth  that  one  staggers  in  trying  to  look  into  it,  and 
that  is  the  severe  trials  and  great  suffering  of  Job. 

Satan  being  in  the  assembly,  among  the  children 
of  God,  was  asked  of  the  Lord,  "  Whence  comest 
thou?"  What  have  you  to  do  here?  You  are  out  of 
place  here.  The  Lord  knew  that  Satan  was  envious 
of  Job,  because  he  was  such  a  light  in  the  Lord;  and' 
he  had  come  as  an  accuser  of  the  brethren,  to  bring 
something  against  this  good  man,  who  was  as  a  thorn 
in  his  eye.  And  being  a  "liar  from  the  beginning," 
he  would  not  speak  the  truth  even  to  God,  but  said, 
"  I  have  been  passing  to  and  fro  in  the  country,  after 
my  business;  and  hearing  that  there  was  a  meeting 
here,  I  thought  I  would  come  and  see  what  is  go- 
ing on." 

Although  this  was  full  of  lies,  there  was  some  truth 


39 2  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


woven  into  it.  The  devil  does  pass  up  and  down 
in  the  land  and  has  a  great  deal  of  business.  He 
must  frequently  go  to  the  taverns,  groggeries,  gam- 
bling pits,  frolics,  parties,  dances,  etc.,  and  see  to  it 
that  everything  goes  on  right  devilish.  He  must  help 
the  thieves,  whoremongers,  adulterers,  fraudulent, 
and  especially  the  vain  fashion-fools  to  do  everything 
according  to  his  will.  How  the  old  fellow  must 
chase  about,  and  order  the  little  sub-devils  around 
right  and  left,  and  in  every  direction!  He  must  help 
the  ladies  before  the  glass  to  make  their  fool-fashions 
set  rio-ht,  and  must  see  to  it  that  the  men  chase  after 
the  world  with  the  necessary  earnestness.  In  politics, 
in  the  Church,  in  the  theatre,  in  the  pulpit,  in  the 
closet,  in  the  ball-room,  wherever  men  do  congregate, 
in  whatever  men  engage,  he  is  busy  in  efforts  to 
hinder  the  good  and  advance  the  evil.  Especially 
where  there  are  spiritual  meetings,  where  sinners  are 
resurrected  into  the  life  eternal,  and  where  the  chil- 
dren of  God  leap  for  joy  and  praise  their  Redeemer, 
there  he  begins  to  rag-e  like  a  steam  boiler,  and  his 
anger  is  wreaked  on  some  pious  Job. 

The  Lord  very  well  knew  that  Satan  was  at  this 
meeting  to  bring  a  railing  accusation  against  Job,  and 
so  He  anticipated  the  cunning  old  serpent  with  the 
question:  "  Hast  thou  considered  my  servant  Job, 
that  there  is  none  like  him  in  the  earth,  a  perfect  and 
an  upright  man,  one  that  feareth  God  and  escheweth 
evil?"  Then  the  devil's  envy  boiled  over,  and  with 
a  hot  poisonous  snort,  he  answered:  "Doth  Job  fear 
God  for  naught?     Hast  Thou  not  made  an  hedge 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


393 


about  him,  and  about  his  house,  and  about  all  that  he 
hath  on  every  side?  Thou  hast  blessed  the  work  of 
his  hands,  and  his  substance  is  increased  in  the  land. 
But  put  forth  Thy  hand  now,  and  touch  all  that  he 
hath,  and  he  will  curse  Thee  to  Thy  face.  —  Job  only 
serves  Thee  from  self-interest,  because  it  pays  so 
well.  If  Thou  wouldst  give  and  preserve  everything 
thus  for  me,  I  would  also  serve  Thee."  I  suppose 
the  devil  had  not  learned  then  yet  that  the  grace  of 
God  can  so  transform  fallen  men  that  they  can  serve 
God  without  any  motive  of  self-interest,  but  only 
because  it  is  the  will  of  God;  and  perhaps  the  Lord 
thought  it  was  about  time  the  devil  should  learn  this 
lesson,  as  well  as  mankind  (herein  is  a  very  profound 
depth),  and  therefore  the  Lord  said  to  Satan:  "Behold, 
all  that  he  hath  is  in  thy  power;  only  upon  himself 
put  not  forth  thine  hand.  So  Satan  went  forth  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord." 

He  had  to  confess  a  great  truth,  namely,  that  God 
had  "set  an  hedge  about  Job"  and  all  his  possessions, 
and  was  protecting  him.  Hallelujah!  the  devil  him- 
self was  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  God  is  like  a 
wall  of  fire  around  His  people!  Satan  had  often 
gone  prowling  around  Job  like  a  savage  beast,  but  he 
always  found  him  hedged  securely  in  till  now;  when 
all  at  once  the  Lord  opened  a  door  of  permission, 
and  Satan  enters  promptly  upon  his  work  of  destruc- 
tion. "Here"  thought  he,  "I  will  shew  Job  and  all 
the  world  how  little  there  is  in  the  service  of  God." 
And  he  went  to  work  quite  shrewdly;  Satan  is  no 
fool,  depend  upon  that.    In  one  day  he  seized  Job's 


394  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

children,  cattle,  and  all  his  possessions,  and  destroyed 
them;  and  to  effect  this,  he,  by  Divine  permission, 
made  use  of  the  Chaldeans,  the  storm,  the  lightnings,, 
etc.  But  mark!  Satan  had  so  arranged  it  that  one 
messenger  after  the  other  came  to  Job,  bringing  him 
one  terrifying  message  after  another.  While  one 
messenger  was  yet  speaking,  Satan  had  another  on 
the  run;  he  so  hurried  him  that 'he  was  quite  out  of 
breath,  when  he  came  to  Job,  where  the  first  one  was 
still  speaking,  and  could  hardly  deliver  his  message 
for  panting.  So  it  was  with  the  third  and  fourth. 
How  these  poor  fellows  had  to  hurry  their  feet  to 
carry  the  devil's  messages!  He  still  makes  men  who 
serve  him  chase  about  thus  till  they  almost  die.  But 
—  but  there  was  a  devilish  object  in  all  this.  If  Job 
had  had  but  one  minute  he  would  have  fallen  upon  his 
knees,  and  by  prayer  obtained  strength  immediately. 
This  Satan  knew  very  well,  and  was  anxious  to  pre- 
vent it.  It  was  his  intention  to  suddenly  overwhelm 
Job,  and  felt  quite  sure  of  victory  too.  But  if  ever  in 
his  life  he  was  beaten,  deceived,  and  put  to  shame,  it 
was  now.  After  Job  had  heard  it  all,  he  fell  upon 
the  earth,  praying,  and  said,  "The  Lord  gave  and 
the  Lord  hath  taken  away;  blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord!"  His  praise  to  God  struck  the  devil  like 
a  thunderbolt  of  surprise.  "Ho!  what  is  all  this? 
This  is  not  as  I  expected!"  he  exclaimed.  Full  of 
anger,  shame  and  madness,  he  fled,  feeling  as  mean 
as  only  a  defeated  devil  can  feel!  But  he  could  not 
rest  yet,  thinking,  "if  Job  is  possessed  of  such  deep 
piety,  what  harm  will  he  not  do  my  cause  upon  earth  ? 


Extracts  front  Sermons  &c. 


395 


I  must  go  at  him  again."  So  he  went  to  the  assem- 
bly of  the  sons  of  God  again.  Impudently  he  now 
tells  the  Lord,  if  he  would  lay  his  hand  upon  Job's 
body  and  life  he  would  curse  God;  "for  all  that  a 
man  hath  will  he  give  for  his  life,"  said  Satan.  Then 
the  Lord  said:  "  Behold  he  is  in  thine  hand;  but 
save  his  life ".  .  .  .  So  went  Satan  forth  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  smote  Job  with  boils  from 
the  sole  of  his  foot  unto  his  crown.  Behold,  as  soon 
he  had  permission  he  chased  and  tumbled  himself 
after  the  man  of  God,  and  abused  him  most  miserably, 
causing  him  to  break  out  all  over  with  boils,  so  that 
he  had  to  scrape  the  corruption  off  with  a  potsherd, 
and  sit  in  ashes.  Now  he  had  robbed  Job  of  his 
children,  his  cattle,  his  lands,  his  health,  and  almost 
his  life,  leaving  him  only  a  cross  and  ugly  wife,  who 
under  the  influence  of  the  evil  spirit  came  upon  him 
and  mocked  him,  saying:  "Dost  thou  still  retain  thine 
integrity?  Curse  God  and  die."  The  old  enemy 
knows  well  what  a  great  influence  the  wife  often  has 

o 

over  the  husband,  and  he  thought,  "Now  I  have 
surely  conquered!  Job  surely  can't  stand  that!" 
But  hark!  Job  answered  her  decidedly  and  with 
resignation,  being  fully  in  the  light:  "Thou  speakest 
as  one  of  the  foolish  women  speaketh.  What!  shall 
we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  God,  and  not  evil?" 

Defeated  again,  Satan  now  turns  Job's  former 
friends  loose  upon  him,  to  plague  him  with  accusa- 
tions until  it  was  almost  intolerable.  Just  think  how 
this  holy,  pious,  consecrated  man  was  brought  into 
distress;  his  possessions,  his  children,  almost  his  life 


396  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


taken  away  from  him;  persecuted  by  his  own  wife 
and  former  friends;  his  soul  enveloped  in  darkness! 
Satan  thought  he  could  worry  and  discourage  him  till 
he  had  him  conquered;  hence  he  listened  with  malig- 
nant joy  to  the  lamentations  of  Job.  But  suddenly 
he  heard,  to  his  terror,  a  confident  exclamation  come 
up  from  the  depth  of  Job's  soul:  "I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter 
day  upon  the  earth:  And  though  after  my  skin, 
worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see 
God!" 

No  doubt  the  enemy  now  lost  all  hope,  for  he  saw 
that  Job  did  not  serve  God  for  worldly  prosperity, 
but  that  he  was  anchored  deeply  in  his  Redeemer. 
The  end  and  object  of  this  great  trial  had  now  been 
reached.  God  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Job, 
removed  his  wretchedness,  and  blessed  him  more 
abundantly  than  ever  before,  and  the  devil  learned  a 
lesson  that  he  will  never  forget. 

The  devil  hates  no  one  so  much  as  those  Christians 
who  are  so  entirely  swallowed  up  in  God,  and  so 
dead  to  all  the  vanities  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  world, 
that  they  love  God  with  all  the  heart.  But  he  can 
not  injure  them.  Hallelujah! 

This  history  gives  us  a  clear  view  of  the  realm  of 
spirits,  and  into  that  we  must  look  if  we  would  rightly 
understand  it.  It  gives  us  a  look  behind  the  scenes, 
and  lays  bare  the  hidden  forces  that  work  in  our 
lives. 

Oh  my  brethren  and  sisters!  whatever  you  do, 
press  deeply  into  God.    Watch  and  pray,  submit 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


39? 


yourselves  wholly  unto  the  Lord,  and  trust  him  in  the 
greatest  adversities.  For, 

u  The  clouds  ye  so  much  dread 
Are  big  with  mercy,  and  will  break 
In  blessings  on  your  head." 

ARRAIGNMENT  OF  THE  LIQUOR  DEALERS. 

Notwithstanding  the  misery  and  fearful  destruction 
that  is  produced  daily,  by  the  comnon  use  of  spirituous 
and  intoxicating  liquors,  the  murderous  robber  busi- 
ness of  manufacturing  and  selling  of  it,  both  at  whole- 
sale and  retail,  still  goes  on  uninterruptedly,  as  if  it 
were  a  necessary  and  useful  business,  without  which 
the  world  could  not  go  on.  As  soon  as  a  man  pub- 
licly opposes  this  business,  the  brewer,  the  distiller,, 
the  seller,  the  moderate  drinker  and  the  rowdy,  be- 
come his  enemies.  The  sellers  of  strong  drink  are 
really  the  men  who  are  responsible  for  the  contin- 
uance of  the  vice  of  drunkenness.  They  help  the 
drunkard  along  in  his  pathway  of  ruin,  encourage 
him  in  his  vice,  and  furnish  him  with  the  implements 
of  self-destruction. 

Here  are  a  few  of  the  innumerable  examples  of  the 
unspeakable  miseries  of  drunkenness,  which  these 
rum-sellers  produce; 

Not  long  since  a  drunkard,  whom  I  could  mention 
by  name,  injured  himself  in  one  of  his  limbs,  and  the 
poison  which  brandy  had  carried  into  the  red  tide  of 
life,  produced  inflammation  in  the  wound,  and  it  be- 
came incurable.    He  died,  frightfully  cursing  his  poor 


398  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

soul,  and  went  into  the  solemnity  of  eternity  with 
horrid  oaths  and  imprecations  on  his  dying  lips. 
Forever  and  forever  he  has  to  reap  the  fearful  harvest 
which  he  sowed,  and .  for  which  the  rum-seller  pro- 
vided the  seed.  After  death  his  poisoned  mutilated 
carcass  was  terrible  to  behold. 

Come,  rum-seller,  see  this  poor  inebriate  in  his 
coffin!  He  came  to  his  untimely  end  by  your  hands. 
Behold  the  work  of  your  hands!  Look  into  his  face 
and  you  can  read  amid  its  lines  and  furrows  your  own 
awful  doom. — And  what  have  you  gained?  His 
money!  For  it  you  have  brought  him  to  an  early 
grave. 

During  the  last  year  a  drunkard  in  S   pursued 

his  poor  wife  with  an  axe,  while  he  was  intoxicated. 
The  creature  fled  from  her  "protector"  to  a  neighbor- 
ing house,  but  he  followed  her  and  cleft  her  skull  in 
two,  inflicting  also  several  other  ghastly  wounds  in 
her  breast.  Before  help  arrived  she  was  a  corpse, 
and  her  murderer,  whom  the  rum-sellers  had  con- 
verted into  an  incarnate  devil,  was  in  the  act  of  cut- 
ting his  own  throat  with  a  knife.  His  father  had 
been  a  liquor  dealer  and  kept  a  saloon  —  a  gateway 
to  hell. 

Another  instance  where  the  man  was  formerly  one 
of  my  personal  acquaintances.  I  know  him  to  have 
been  a  well-meaning,  kind-hearted  man  by  nature, 
and  he  had  an  excellent,  industrious  wife,  and  good 
children.  But  through  moderate  drinking  he  became 
an  arch-drunkard.  The  family  became  a  ruin.  The 
husband  and  father  in  his  frenzies  would  pursue  his 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


399- 


good  wife  and  children,  with  the  axe,  the  gun,  the 
butcher-knife,  or  anything  he  happened  to  get,  so 
that  they  frequently  escaped  death  narrowly,  and 
finally  they  all  had  to  leave  him. 

Do  you  see,  ye  rum  and  brandy  makers  and  sellers, 
what  your  devilish  business  accomplishes  and  pro- 
duces? The  above  mentioned  facts  are  only  examples 
out  of  millions,  of  how  you  utterly  ruin  your  victims 
in  soul  and  body,  for  time  and  for  eternity.  Cast  but 
a  glance  at  the  innumerable  victims  of  your  butchery. 
The  land  swarms  with  them.  See  how  many  beg- 
gars and  paupers  you  create  annually,  who  go  in  rags 
from  house  to  house,  begging  for  bread  and  clothes  — 
or  perhaps  for  money  to  buy  more  rum  and  brandy 
of  you.  For  when,  in  robber  fashion,  you  have  stolen 
all  their  possessions,  you  send  them  out  into  the 
world  and  oblige  them  to  beg  more  money  before  you 
give  them  any  more  to  drink.  Yes,  when  these  poor- 
wretches  have  squandered  their  last  cent  in  your 
establishment,  and  have  pawned  their  last  coat  for 
drink  over  your  bar,  you  drive  the  naked  victims 
of  your  avarice  from  your  door,  and  if  it  be  the  cold- 
est Winter  night.  Even  if  they  freeze,  and  rush  into 
the  abyss  of  hell,  you  are  not  concerned,  least  of  all 
if  you  first  got  all  their  money.  Money  is  your  object, 
ye  accursed  liquor  dealers. 

Lift  up  your  eyes  and  see  the  thousands  you  drive 
into  infirmaries,  insane  asylums  and  prisons.  On 
your  account  they  are  suffering  there.  Cast  a  glance 
also  into  the  black  abyss  of  hell,  where  the  millions 
of  drunkards  must  endure  the  fearful  tortures  of  the 


-400  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


worm  that  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  that  is  not  quenched. 
Through  drinking,  these  have  shortened  their  lives, 
and  you  are  responsible  for  their  lamentable  fate. 
O,  listen  to  the  thunder  of  their  cries  of  anguish,  their 
moans  of  distress,  and  think  of  the  imprecations  they 
will  heap  upon  you  when  you  get  there  too!  For 
you  will  get  there  just  as  sure  as  you  do  not  change 
your  course  and  stop  your  nefarious  trade.  Then 
those  will  curse  you,  who,  deceived  by  you,  had 
chosen  the  path  of  vice.  Then  those  souls  whom 
you  tormented,  will  accuse  you.  And  every  pang 
that  you  have  caused,  and  every  fortune  you  des- 
troyed, will  haunt  you  with  its  woe. 

Better,  a  great  deal,  that  you  should  nourish  your 
children  by  begging,  if  such  a  thing  were  necessary 
in  this  country,  than  to  be  engaged  in  this  destructive 
business.  For,  were  this  accursed  traffic  banished 
from  our  land  and  nation,  we  would  have  a  gain, 
annually,  of  at  least  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars. 


BISHOP  SEYBERT  ON  TOBACCO. 

[In  many  things  Seybert  was  in  advance  of  his  age. 
This  is  especially  noticeable  in  his  views  of  the  use 
of  tobacco.  In  an  age  when  most  Christian  professors 
and  preachers  used  the  narcotic,  and  few  in  any 
church  thought  of  protesting  against  it,  he  was  out- 
spoken, radical,  and  earnest  in  his  condemnation  of 
the  evil.  Before  any  conference  passed  any  resolu- 
tions on  the  subject,  Bishop  Seybert  was  wont  to 
inquire  of  candidates  for  the  ministry,  for  orders,  or 
for  the  Presiding  Elder's  office,  whether  they  were 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  401 

free  from  the  use  of  tobacco.  Below  follow  some 
paragraphs  giving  his  sentiments  fully  and  clearly.  S.] 
In  his  journal  he  wrote  of  a  certain  locality: 
"Around  here  the  people  are  deeply  corrupted;  there 
are  many  tipplers,  and  both  among  converted  and 
unconverted,  the  pernicious  use,  or  rather  abuse  of 
tobacco  prevails.  However  a  glorious  work  of  grace 
has  begun,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  people  will 
be  saved  from  the  idols,  and  will  get  rid  of  them." 
In  a  sermon  he  delivered  himself  in  this  fashion: 
"The  misuse  of  tobacco  occurs  ordinarily  in  smok- 
ing, chewing  and  snuffing.  The  daily  use  of  it  in 
this  way  can  not  fail  to  have  a  harmful  effect  upon 
particular  portions  of  the  body.  Tobacco  is  fit  for 
medicine,  and  that  is  the  only  use  of  the  weed.  But 
whoever  chews,  smokes  or  snuffs  it  daily,  will  at  last 
suffer  harm  in  his  physical  system.  Among  the 
symptoms  which  it  produces  are  the  following:  vari- 
ous classes  of  headache,  numbness,  dizziness,  nausea, 
pain  in  the  eyes,  and  watering  of  the  same,  dullness 
of  the  sense  of  smell,  smarting  and  blistering  of  the 
tongue,  unpleasant  odor  in  the  mouth,  rawness  in 
the  throat  and  irritation  to  cough,  constant  hunger, 
accompanied  with  nausea  and  fainting,  stomach 
cramps,  weakness  and  trembling  of  the  limbs,  palpita- 
tion of  the  heart,  distressing  pressure  on  the  chest, 
gradual  consumption,  etc.  Every  slave  of  tobacco,  if 
he  will  be  honest,  must  acknowledge  that  he  is 
troubled  with  one  or  more  of  these  evils,  though  he 
may  not  have  connected  his  sufferings  with  tobacco 
unless  his  attention  was  called  to  it. 
26 


402  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

"  If  a  medicine  be  used  habitually  for  years  to  cure 
a  certain  disease,  it  will  eventually  produce  a  disease 
of  its  own,  according  to  its  properties  and  power, 
especially  if  it  be  a  poison,  which  tobacco  certainly  is. 

"Even  the  demands  of  our  physical  nature  should 
prevent  us  from  using  the  weed,  for  nature  rises  in 
rebellion  against  it  in  every  person  who  begins  its 
use,  with  the  intention  of  habituating  himself  to  its 
use.  Every  tobacco  slave  knows  by  experience,  how 
unwilling  his  system  was  to  receive  the  obnoxious 
poison,  because  nature  felt  its  harmfulness  and  pro- 
tested mightily  against  its  use.  We  ought  to  be 
ashamed  before  the  dumb  brutes,  though  we  are 
endowed  with  reason,  we  do  far  worse  than  they  in 
this  particular.  Do  not  dumb  creatures  select  the 
vegetation  that  is  suitable  for  their  nourishment, 
from  among  poisonous  growths?  As  a  rule,  they 
touch  a  harmful  weed  but  once.  Ought  not  we  to  act 
as  wisely  as  our  cattle  and  sheep  ?  They  avoid  harm- 
ful indulgences.  We  do  not  accomplish  as  much  with 
our  reasoning  faculties  as  these  dumb  creatures  do 
with  their  instinct!  O,  inconsistency,  where  is  thy  blush! 

"  Smoking  and  chewing  positively  impairs  the  diges- 
tion, because  it  vitiates  the  salivary  secretion,  and 
the  gastric  juice,  which  are  necessary  to  the  trans- 
formation of  food  into  the  blood  and  material  for 
physical  building  and  repair.  Snuffing  only  spoils 
what  it  is  intended  to  improve,  besides  being  a  repul- 
sive habit,  which  eventually  destroys  the  sense  of 
smell,  so  that  one  feels  as  if  he  had  neither  head  nor 
nose,  or  imagines  he  is  all  nose. 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  403 

"In  many  instances  it  requires  grace  to  get  rid  of 
the  habitual  use  of  the  narcotic,  just  as  stopping  the 
use  of  intoxicants  often  also  requires  grace.  But  as 
a  general  thing,  even  good  breeding  and  common 
civilization  without  religion  will  keep  a  man  from 
using  it,  for  this  filthy  habit  is  such  a  violation  of  good 
morals  and  aesthetical  delicacy,  that  a  well  bred  per- 
son will  not  be  guilty  of  it.  Good  breeding  abhors  it. 
To  stop  the  habit,  in  short,  costs  generally  nothing 
more  than  that  one  makes  up  his  mind  never  to  toticli 
the  weed  again,  and  keeps  the  resolution.  That  does 
the  business. 

"The  tobacco  habit  is  also  an  occasion  of  extrav- 
agance. If  one  observes  the  great  waste  of  time  and 
money  which  is  connected  with  the  misuse  of  tobacco, 
it  is  hard  to  avoid  the  conviction  that  it  certainly  is 
not  a  proper  indulgence  for  those  who  claim  to  be 
followers  of  Christ.  I  have  also  observed  that  this 
narcotic  leads  to  indolence,  and  laziness  knows  noth- 
ing except  how  to  kill  time.  Presumably,  tobacco 
dealers  and  users  will  regard  me  as  fanatical  and 
peculiar,  but  I  can  not  reconcile  such  a  filthy  habit, 
that  costs  so  much  money  and  time,  with  the  character 
of  a  Christian  who  is  under  obligations  to  consecrate 
his  goods  and  time  to  God. 

"In  our  little  Evangelical  Association  (1 841)  at  least 
$7,000  are  this  year  devoted  to  tobacco  —  much  more 
than  the  offerings  for  the  holy  missionary  cause 
amount  to.  O  God,  have  mercy!  But  if  all  the  money 
that  is  paid  out  for  tobacco  in  America  alone  for  one 
year,  would  be  devoted  to  benevolent  purposes,  how 


404  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


many  naked  and  neglected  children  in  the  land  could 
be  clothed,  sheltered  and  educated!  how  many  for- 
saken widows  and  their  orphans  would  be  relieved 
from  want,  and  made  happy!  how  many  missionaries 
could  be  equipped  and  sent  out  to  save  immortal 
souls!  Yes,  how  many  more  preachers  could  our 
own  Church  support  on  the  field  of  the  Gospel,  with 
the  money  that  is  consumed  by  its  members  in  this 
unrighteous  way!  But  alas!  we  too  must  sacrifice  to 
the  idols  yet! 

"But  how  is  it  with  the  servants  of  the  Word,  the 
itinerant  preachers?  Are  these  free  from  this  un- 
cleanness?  It  is  for  them  to  leave  this  path  of  sin 
first,  for  they  are  called  of  God  to  show  the  people 
the  way  to  heaven,  and  to  teach  them  to  crucify  the 
flesh  with  its  sinful  lusts,  to  put  off  the  old  man  with 
his  works,  and  to  keep  themselves  unspotted  from 
the  world.  But  are  they  unspotted,  if  they  are  be- 
daubed with  tobacco  juice,  and  infected  with  tobacco 
stench,  so  that  to  a  decent  person  they  are  positively 
repulsive?  I  think  not.  They  are  slaves,  and  I  ad- 
vise them,  yea  beg  of  them  to  cleanse  themselves 
of  this  filthiness,  and  to  use  their  money  to  a  better 
purpose,  for  the  day  of  judgment  comes  on  a  pace, 
where  also  the  preachers  must  give  account  of  their 
stewardship. 

"I  appeal  to  the  ministry  to  go  to  work  to  root  up 
this  evil.  If  you  will  interest  yourselves  in  it  as  you 
should,  the  cause  will  make  better  progress.  Up 
then,  ye  heralds  of  the  Cross!  ye  embassadors  for 
Christ!     Your  Master  smoked  no  tobacco.    I  will 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


405 


vouch  for  that!  Up,  ye  watchmen  of  Israel!  Break 
down  and  tear  away  these  idols.  Lift  up  your  voices, 
and  protest  by  your  example  against  this  squandering 
of  time  and  money.  The  people  watch  their  watch- 
men, and  imitate  the  example  of  their  leaders. 
Through  you  a  reformation  can  easily  be  effected. 
And  what  a  blessing  this  would  be  to  our  little  Zion! 
The  missionary  contributions  could  be  materially 
increased — yes,  doubled.  Our  pulpits  would  be  clean, 
and  our  pews  fit  for  decent  and  well-clad  people.  The 
behavior  of  our  preachers  would  be  more  in  accord 
with  their  office,  and  their  character  as  ministers 
would  be  in  higher  estimation,  and  they  would  em- 
ploy many  an  hour  in  prayer  and  study,  which  they 
now  lose  by  their  sinful  use  of  tobacco." 


"  LOVE  IS  STRONG  AS  DEATH."  A  FRAGMENT. 

Text: — Song  of  Sol.  8:5.  For  love  is  strong  as 
death. 

This  is  an  everlasting  truth,  which  Christ  demon- 
strated when  he  died  for  us  while  we  were  yet  sin- 
ners. Rom.  5:8-10.  This  truth  has  also  been 
demonstrated  by  thousands  and  millions  of  people, 
who  have  been  constrained  by  love  to  endure  trib- 
ulation, to  bear  shame,  to  suffer  the  loss  of  all  things, 
and  to  submit  even  to  the  most  painful  death  for  the 
glory  of  God  and  for  the  sake  of  the  truth. 

It  is  evident  that  no  person  in  his  wicked  state  has 
or  can  have  this  love  in  him.  We  must  therefore 
inquire  how  we  are  to  get  possession  of  this  quality 


4o6  Life  and  Labors  of  Jolin  Seybert. 


of  character.  I  answer,  by  regeneration.  It  is  not  to 
be  attained  in  any  other  way,  as  is  clear  from  i.  John 
5:1 :  "  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ 
is  born  of  God;  and  every  one  that  loveth  him  that 
begat,  loveth  him  also  that  is  begotten  of  him.'' 
Here  the  holy  apostle  represents  faith,  regeneration 
and  love  as  being  together.  According  to  Rom.  5 : 5 
love  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
who  is  given  unto  us.  This  is  said  of  those  who  are 
born  again. 

According  to  the  commandment  of  God,  and  also 
the  example  of  ancient  saints,  we  must  grow  and  in- 
crease in  love  as  well  as  in  every  other  grace  of  Jesus 
Christ,  if  we  are  not  to  grow  indifferent  and  cold,  and 
at  last  lose  our  souls.  Whoever  continues  in  love  to 
the  end  of  life,  shall  be  saved,  but  he  who  has  for- 
saken his  first  love,  let  him  consider  whence  he  is 
fallen,  repent,  do  his  first  works  and  seek  his  first 
love  again  —  seek  her  continually,  until  he  is  sub- 
.merged  in  the  ocean  of  everlasting  love. 

This  love  which  is  spoken  of  in  the  text  must  be 
genuine.  Let  us  be  sincere  in  our  love.  Love  is 
not  deceitful,  Brotherly  love  should  be  hearty,  in 
honor  preferring  one  another.  Our  love  is  not  to  be 
"in  word,  neither  in  tongue,  but  in  deed  and  in 
truth."  Then  all  will  recognize  us  as  belonging  to 
Jesus  Christ,  and  that  we  are  His  true  disciples. 

Whosoever  has  within  him  this  love  which  comes 
from  God,  loves  also  his  foes,  prays  for  them  and 
does  them  good,  as  the  ancients  said.  A  heavenly 
spirit  must  possess  those  who  follow  Jesus,  and  those 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  407 


who  have  entered  the  kingdom  of  grace  can  not  hate 
anyone.    Love  goes  out  after  all  men. 

Without  the  love  01  God  in  our  hearts  we  are  unfit 
for  good  works  or  the  performance  of  Christian  duty. 
Though  we  were  ever  so  learned,  and  understood  all 
tongues,  and  all  mysteries;  though  we  could  speak 
with  the  tongues  of  angels,  and  though  we  could 
remove  mountains  by  the  might  of  our  faith,  yea 
though  we  give  our  all  to  the  poor,  and  our  body 
to  be  burned,  yet  all  this  without  love  would  not 
save  us. 

Love  adorns  all  our  actions,  and  makes  all  our 
works  acceptable  to  God.  Love  enables  us  to  do 
the  whole  will  of  God  with  oreat  delight.  Love  is 
an  active  principle  in  the  regenerate  soul,  which 
constrains  him  to  clothe  the  naked,  feed  the  hungry, 
visit  the  sick  and  those  that  are  in  prison,  and  to 
entertain  hospitably  the  stranger  and  pilgrim.  She 
also  constrains  God's  people  to  open  benevolent 
hands,  to  spread  the  Gospel  by  the  help  of  their 
earthly  means.  I  know  of  a  sister  who  purchased  a 
number  of  pocket  Bibles,  and  distributed  them  among 
the  poor  around  her,  so  that  these  might  have  the 
precious  Word  of  God.    That  is  practising  love. 

Love  also  persuades  men  sometimes  to  devote 
fields  and  forests  to  the  service  of  the  living  God, 
and  to  dedicate  houses,  work-shops  and  business 
places,  as  homes  of  worship  and  prayer.  It  con- 
strains God's  children  to  be  prompt  and  regular  in 
the  public  services  of  God's  house,  and  to  attend 
assiduously  to  family  and  secret  devotions.  Care- 


408  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


lessness  in  these  particulars  betrays  coldness  of  love. 
Love  produces  life  and  activity  in  those  in  whom  she 
dwells,  so  that  they  are  at  times  enabled  to  pray  with 
great  emotion  and  many  tears  for  their  unconverted 
friends,  that  such  may  also  be  saved.  Yea,  love 
constrains  men  who  have  talent  and  are  anointed 
from  above  for  the  purpose,  to  leave  father  and 
mother,  wife  and  children,  to  despise  a  comfortable 
living  and  earthly  possessions,  and  to  carry  "the 
grace  of  God  that  bringeth  salvation  "  over  mountain 
and  valley,  over  land  and  rivers,  through  cold  and 
heat,  through  sunshine  and  storm,  regardles  of  the 
sacrifice  they  make  or  the  hardships  they  encounter, 
until  the  ends  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  honor  and 
knowledge  of  God.  Such  men,  however,  are  not 
easily  frightened  off  by  the  devil,  or  made  timid  by 
difficulties.  They  do  not  easily  leave  the  field.  No! 
so  long  as  love  is  master  in  the  heart  of  the  minister 
of  Jesus,  he  sails  boldly  on. 

Love  also  makes  us  patient  in  suffering,  and 
enables  us,  for  God's  sake,  to  endure  with  fortitude 
all  the  trials,  burdens,  toils  and  cares  of  this  life, 
waiting  calmly  until  our  change  come. 

Now,  beloved  friends,  who  hear  this,  how  is  it 
among  you?  How  stands  this  matter  with  us  all? 
How  is  it  in  the  Evangelical  Association?  How  is 
it  with  me  and  with  you?  Are  you  still  rooted  and 
grounded  in  that  love  that  is  strong  as  death?  To 
the  glory  of  God  I  can  say  that  I  feel  love's  fires 
burning  in  my  inmost  soul  with  as  much  intensity 
and  fervor  as  ever  before  in  my  Christian  experience. 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


409 


And  how  is  it  in  the  ministry?  Ye  messengers  of 
the  Lord,  have  ye  this  love  burnig  yet,  or  are  her 
fires  gone  down?  Have  you  still  the  courage  and 
faith  to  continue  in  the  held  until  evening,  when  the 
Master  will  call  the  laborers  home  and  give  them 
their  reward?  O,  brethren,  be  faithful!  Our  work 
in  the  Lord  is  not  in  vain.  Possibly,  in  some  the 
love  has  grown  so  cold  that  you  have  determined  to 
retire  from  the  Gospel  field  at  the  next  annual  confer- 
ence, and  go  back  to  gathering  earthly  treasures  or 
to  seek  a  more  comfortable  living,  than  the  minister 
has  who  is  the  servant  of  everybody. 

Where  is  that  youth,  strong  as  Samson  who  slew 
thousands  of  Philistines  and  set  their  corn  fields  on 
fire?  Has  he,  like  the  son  of  Manoah,  yielded  to  the 
charms  of  some  Delilah  who,  as  the  wife  of  his  bosom, 
has  shorn  him  of  his  strength?  Oh,  he  went  out  so 
grandly  into  the  battle!  But  he  has  taken  a  wife  and 
now  his  strength  and  courage  are  gone.  Where  now 
is  his  zeal  for  God's  honor,  and  the  love  for  immortal 
souls?  It  is  to  be  feared  it  has  been  extinguished. 
In  a  few  the  impulse  to  preach  has  been  lost  and  the 
love  of  money  has  captured  their  hearts,  for,  without 
good  cause  they  have  have  left  the  work,  gone  home, 
and  are  now  engaged  in  worldly  business.  Brethren, 
have  a  care!  Your  Lord  cometh  soon  and  inquireth 
for  the  talent  He  entrusted  to  your  hands.  And  what 
will  you  say?  Though  the  Lord  has  set  you  as 
watchmen,  you  seldom  blow  the  trumpet.  Is  there  no 
danger  any  more,  or  has  the  Lord  taken  the  office 
from  you  and  given  it  to  others  ?  You  can  not  put  the 


410  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

blame  for  your  retirement  on  our  friends;  for  they 
are  seeking  year  by  year  to  make  more  and  more 
perfect  arrangements,  and  yearly  sacrifice  their  thou- 
sands that  your  wants  might  be  provided  for,  while 
you  are  spreading  the  Gospel.  Of  course,  if  all  our 
friends  had  this  perfect  love  that  is  stronger  than 
death,  they  would  still  do  much  more  for  the  spread 
of  Christ's  kingdom  than  they  do.  They  could  sup- 
port twice  the  number  of  traveling  preachers,  and 
three  times  the  number  of  missionaries.  What  a 
blessing  that  would  be  for  the  German  population  of 
North  America! 


THE  EPISCOPAL  OFFICE. 

The  Great  Head  of  the  church  has  appointed  vari- 
ous offices  for  the  good  of  the  church,  and  the  salva- 
tion of  the  world.  Already  in  the  Apostolic  church 
the  Holy  Spirit  anointed  and  appointed  prophets, 
evangelists,  shepherds,  teachers  and  apostles;  there 
were  also  deacons,  elders  and  bishops  in  the  primitive 
Church,  through  whom  the  saints  were  edified,  and 
the  body  of  Christ  strengthened.  Therefore  it  is 
proper  and  beneficial  to  have  these  officers  in  the 
Church  to-day. 

The  higher  the  office  which  the  Church  entrusts  to 
a  brother,  the  more  humility  is  required,  and  also  a 
correspondingly  greater  treasure  of  grace  and  unction 
in  the  heart,  in  order  to  perform  the  duties  of  the 
office  well  pleasing  to  God,  and  for  the  good  of  the 
Church.  The  higher  the  office,  the  nearer  to  God. 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  4 1  r 

Jesus  Christ  holds  the  highest  office  in  the  Church 
universal,  and  He,  the  great  ''Shepherd  and  Bishop", 
is  in  the  "bosom  of  the  Father".  John  was  the  most 
far-seeing  of  the  apostles,  and  was  entrusted  with  the 
greatest  mysteries  of  the  Kingdom,  and  he  lay  on 
Jesus's  breast.  Paul,  who  took  the  first  rank  among 
the  apostles,  "was  caught  up  into  the  third  heaven, 
the  Paradise  of  God",  so  that  he  constantly  felt  a  deep 
inward  desire  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ. 

The  exalted  apostle  Paul  could  not  be  separated 
from  Christ,  by  height  nor  depth,  nor  any  other 
creature.  So  should  a  bishop  be.  He  must  not  be 
like  a  dried,  dead  reed,  shaken  by  the  wind,  if  he  is 
to  be  fit  for  his  high  position.  Even  every  Christian 
is  to  be  green  and  flourish  like  a  cedar  of  Lebanon, 
the  older  the  stronger,  how  much  more  necessary  is 
this  for  a  bishop!  A  bishop  should  also  be  like  a 
wall  of  masonry,  like  a  granite  rock,  so  that  some- 
thing can  be  laid  upon  him  and  be  secure.  What 
does  a  bishop  amount  to,  if  he  is  not  a  pillar  in  the 
house  of  God,  nor  a  patriarch  in  the  family  of  saints? 

A  bishop  should  be  distinguished  for  his  spirit  of 
self-denial.  He  must  not  seek  a  life  of  ease,  nor 
honor  from  men,  nor  shun  the  Cross,  nor  aim  at  a 
high  salary,  neither  should  he  in  his  own  person  nor 
in  his  family  be  conformed  to  the  fashionable  ways 
and  display  of  the  world.  He  should  have  well-bred 
children  who  are  true  Christians,  so  that  even  they 
will  demonstrate  the  man's  fitness  to  preside  over  a 
household.  A  bishop  in  the  Evangelical  Association 
must  not  make  a  long  face  if  he  becomes  all  men's 


41 2  Life  aiid  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


scape-goat.  Long  ago  the  sun  has  burnt  me  black. 
''The  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the 
world."  Nor  do  I  care  to  know  anything,  save  Jesus 
Christ,  and  Him  crucified.  A  bishop  must  not  "lord 
it  over  God's  heritage",  but  be  an  "ensample  to  the 
flock."  He  must  not  be  conspicuous  for  personal 
pride  and  official  hauteur,  riding  in  cruel  pomp  over 
the  rights,  the  consciences  and  the  happiness  of  the 
people,  like  the  gilded  prelates  of  the  Romish 
hierarchy. 

One  of  the  strongest  evidences  that  a  man  is  not 
fit  for  the  episcopal  dignity,  is  when  he  seeks  the 
office.  Such  an  one  misapprehends  the  gravity  and 
importance  of  this  position  in  the  Church,  or  over- 
estimates his  own  talent  and  fitness.  According  to 
Augustine  the  episcopal  title  is  itself  the  name  of  a 
work  which  he  has  to  perform  who  receives  the  title, 
and  that  work  is  to  take  care  of  the  subordinates  in 
the  Church,  and  to  be  concerned  for  their  spiritual 
welfare.  He  who  has  a  bishop's  office  has  a  work  to 
perform  through  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day,  and 
must  not  desire  to  be  a  mere  idle  gentleman.  The 
episcopal  office  is  by  no  means  a  sinecure.  The 
fathers  of  the  primitive  Church  feared  the  office  and 
its  responsibilities  so  greatly,  that  some  of  them  had 
to  be  literally  forced  into  acceptance.  Among  his 
brethren  in  the  ministry,  the  bishop  should  be  the 
least  and  humblest,  as  we  are  taught  by  the  example 
of  Jesus  in  washing  his  disciple's  feet. 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


413 


THE  SLANDERER. 

The  slanderer  has  three  swords  on  his  tongue, 
with  which  he  kills  three  persons  with  one  stroke, 
namely  himself,  the  one  whom  he  slanders,  and  the 
one  who  listens  attentively  to  his  words.  Sometimes 
slanderers  do  not  even  let  the  dead  alone.  Lvino- 

J  o 

and  murder  are  inseparable,  and  Jesus  says  of  the 
devil,  that  he  is  a  liar  and  a  murderer  from  the  be- 
ginning. The  slanderer  is  no  better.  For  one  thing 
he  has  the  devil's  nature  and  disposition,  and  then  he 
is  a  tool  of  the  devil.  Nobody  is  safe  from  the  devil, 
and  much  less  from  the  slanderer's  tongue.  No  one 
can  tame  the  devil,  neither  can  the  backbiter's  tongue 
be  tamed,  which  is  set  on  tire  of  hell.  Consider  this, 
you  who  speak  bold  lies  against  your  neighbor. 
You  are  a  devil.  The  devil  concealed  himself  already 
in  Eden  in  a  serpent,  and  who  does  not  know  that  a 
serpent  carries  its  poison  in  its  mouth?  No  sword 
cuts  so  keenly,  no  wound  pains  so  severely,  no  arrow 
pierces  so  deeply,  as  a  slanderers's  tongue.  A  scourge 
makes  furrows  of  blood,  but  a  wicked  tongue  crushes 
the  bones  and  kills  the  marrow.  Many  have  fallen 
by  the  sword,  but  more  by  wicked  tongues.  Nor  is 
any  wound  harder  to  heal  than  that  which  is  made  by 
the  mouth  of  the  slanderer,  especially  when  the  slan- 
derer is  influential.  Herein  is  the  greatest  power 
of  this  evil,  when  it  has  the  authority  and  influence 
of  the  great. 


414 


Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


THE  BLESSED  AND  HOLY  LOT.  A  SERMON. 

[This  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Bishop  in  a 
private  house  in  Bucks  Co.?  Pa.,  and  was  greatly 
blessed  to  those  who  heard  it.  Some  of  his  auditors 
regarded  the  hearing  of  the  sermon  as  an  event  in 
their  lives.  About  half  an  hour  before  the  appointed 
time  to  preach,  the  Bishop  took  the  chair  behind  the 
table  upon  which  lay  the  Bible  and  hymn  book.  For 
some  time  he  sat  with  folded  arms  in  a  meditative 
mood,  occasionally  casting  a  glance  at  the  books 
before  him.  After  singing  and  prayer,  during  which 
he  seemed  to  enjoy  no  liberty  whatever,  he  sat  down 
again,  manifestly  nervous  and  embarrassed.  Finally 
he  rose'  and  read  his  text,  remarking,  'T  have  read 
a  big  text,  which  ought  to  be  treated  with  homiletic 
system,  whoever  can  do  it."] 

Text:  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the 
first  resurrection;  on  such  the  second  death  hath  no 
power,  but  they  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
and  shall  reign  with  Him  a  thousand  years.  Rev.  20:6. 

I  have  thought  often  and  much  about  the  millen- 
nium. In  studying  the  writings  of  pious  and  learned 
authors,  it  appears  that  they  by  no  means  agree. 
For  myself  I  have  come  to  this  conclusion:  I  will  see 
to  it  that  I  am  a  child  of  the  King,  so  that  I  may  have 
part  in  the  first  resurrection,  and  then  in  course  of 
time  I  shall  find  out  what  the  millennium  is,  and  shall 
myself  reign  with  Christ  in  the  millennial  kingdom. 
I  will  first  show  what  the  "first  resurrection"  is,  and 
second  contemplate  the  assertion,  "  Holy  and  blessed 
is  he  "  etc. 


Extracts  from  Sermons  Cfc. 


415 


1  st.  Concerning  the  first  resurrection  the  learned 
are  also  disagreed.  But  there  is  a  resurrection  which 
at  all  events  may  be  called  the  first,  and  which  must 
take  place  first,  if  we  are  to  have  part  in  the  holy  and 
blessed  lot,  and  that  is  the  resurrection  from  spiritual 
death,  into  the  spiritual  life  with  Christ  in  God.  This 
is  the  first.  To  be  clear,  however,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  say  something  here  of  spiritual  death.  Spirit- 
ual death  came  into  the  world  through  the  Fall,  and 
has  propagated  itself  in  Adam's  race  until  our  time. 
It  is  because  men  are  spiritually  dead  that  they  are 
naturally  hard-hearted,  impenitent  ungrateful,  dead 
to  everything  that  is  good,  alive  only  to  sin.  O  how 
sad  is  the  condition  of  humanity.  To  describe  this 
universal  spiritual  death  I  have  a  good  key  in  Ezek. 
37.  There  the  Lord  took  the  prophet  into  a  large 
valley,  which  was  full  of  dead  bones,  very  dry,  and 
lying  about  in  great  confusion.  The  feet  were  where 
the  head  should  be,  and  vice  versa;  one  part  lay  here 
and  the  other  there,  as  if  a  whirlwind  had  brought 
them  there.  Such  is  the  condition  of  men  in  their 
natural  state;  evil  desires  and  passions  rule  the  soul, 
while  the  reason  and  the  will,  which  ought  to  be  on 
the  throne,  are  under  the  yoke.  Heads  of  families, 
who  ought  to  be  examples  of  self-control  and  piety, 
are  intemperate  and  profane,  in  which  case  the  head 
is  where  the  feet  should  be.  Clergymen,  who  assume 
the  care  of  souls,  frequently  preach  the  devilish 
doctrine  that  men  can  not  be  made  free  from  sin  in 
this  life,  instead  of  the  glorious  Gospel  truth,  and  then 
set  their  flocks  a  bad  example  in  their  lives.  Does 


41 6  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert, 


anyone  want  to  be  converted  to  God  ?  These  clericals 
say,  ' 'What!  you  want  to  be  converted?  You  are 
good  Christians.  I  have  baptized  and  confirmed 
you,  and  you  go  to  the  Lord's  Supper.  Be  satisfied, 
or  you  will  get  into  fanaticism,  and  even  may  lose 
your  reason  yet!  Go  into  jolly  society,  read  the 
newspaper  more  and  the  Bible  less,  and  you  will  feel 
easier!"  Surely,  in  such  a  case  everything  is  wrong 
end  foremost  and  wrong  side  up,  yea  also  everything 
spiritually  dead  and  very  dry,  as  was  shown  the 
prophet  in  the  vision. 

But  the  eternal  God  does  not  want  the  sinner  to 
die  forever,  and  has  made  provisions  to  bring  him  to 
life  in  Christ  Jesus.  He  has  also  instituted  the  minis- 
try. As  of  old  He  called  Ezekiel,  led  him  into  the 
valley  of  dry  bones  and  commanded  him  to  prophesy; 
so  it  is  to  this  day  His  plan  and  order  to  call  His 
own  preachers.  Nor  does  He  call  them  to  spend 
first  five  or  six  years  in  high-schools,  so  as  to  get  a 
diploma  that  they  are  educated  preachers;  but  when 
God  calls  men,  He  calls  them  to  go  and  prophesy  unto 
the  dry  bones.  At  times  the  Lord's  servants  are 
severely  tried,  when  they  contemplate  the  hopeless 
condition  of  mankind  and  the  Lord  asks,  "  Son  of 
man,  can  these  bones  live?"  There  is  nothing  left 
them  but  to  answer,  "Lord,  thou  knowest!"  Often, 
too,  they  are  led  to  feel  their  own  weakness  and 
unfitness. 

This  has  often  been  my  experience.  Sometimes  I 
am  enabled  to  preach  in  perfect  victory  and  grace, 
and  then  I  think  I  will  keep  myself  in  this  stream; 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


417 


but  soon  there  comes  a  season  of  poverty,  fainting- 
fits and  emptiness,  so  that  I  learn  anew  that  God 
alone  is  might}',  that  all  depends  upon  His  blessing, 
and  that  He  must  be  all  in  all,  if  the  work  is  to 
increase.  But  under  such  circumstances  His  servants 
must  work  on.  and  not  be  easily  discouraged.  Even 
should  they  become  sick,  or  other  misfortunes  befall 
them,  they  must  not  sit  down  in  despair.  Once  I 
had  a  series  of  appointments  a  thousand  miles  in 
length,  and  when  I  began  I  was  taken  with  a  fever. 
Each  forenoon  I  had  to  lie  in  bed,  but  in  the  after- 
noon I  would  bestride  my  horse,  and  until  evening 
was  at  my  next  appointment,  and  held  my  meeting. 
At  last,  one  day,  I  became  so  feeble  that  I  scarcely 
reached  mv  destination  at  all,  and  was  obliged  to  go 
to  bed  immediately,  for  I  was  sick  almost  unto  death. 
But  when  evening  came,  I  heard  the  house  filling  up 
with  many  people.  I  was  too  sick  to  preach,  but  I 
thought  it  a  pity  that  so  many  people  should  meet,  to 
hear  God's  Word,  in  vain.  Accordingly  I  arose,  and 
stao-f^ered  down  stairs  as  best  I  could.  There  were 
many  strangers  present,  and  I  thought,  "Why,  you 
ought  to  try  to  pray  with  these  people  anyhow."  I 
made  the  attempt  in  great  weakness.  During  prayer,, 
a  text  came  to  my  mind,  and  I  determined  to  an- 
nounce it,  perhaps  I  could  say  a  word  to  them  at  least. 
As  soon  as  I  began,  the  eternal  power  of  God  came 
down  from  heaven,  and  I  felt  suddenly  perfectly  well, 
and  in  the  conoreo-ation  there  occurred  a  tremendous 

o  o 

commotion.    Sinners  cried  for  mercy,  and  obtained 
peace  and  pardon,  and  blessed  the  Lord  with  a  loud 
27 


4 1 8  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


voice,  while  Gods  children  wept  and  shouted  at  the 
same  time,  because  of  the  rushing  among  the  dry 
bones  that  were  coming  to  life.  Next  day  I  went  on 
my  way  as  free  as  a  bird,  and  perfectly  restored.  W e 
must  not  give  up  so  soon.  Only  keep  on  prophesy- 
ing, the  mighty  breath  of  the  Spirit  causes  a  rushing 
in  the  valley  of  dry  bones,  and  the  spiritually  dead 
will  be  made  alive;  the  life  of  God  will  enter  into 
them,  and  they  will  stand  upon  their  feet,  when  the 
servant  of  God  prophesies.  The  noise  and  shaking 
will  be  heard. 

II.  Now  the  Spirit  saith  in  the  Revelation,  ''Blessed 
and  holy  is  he",  — the  man  who  has  been  made  alive 
spiritually,  and  is  happily  delivered  from  the  guilt 
and  curse  of  sin.  As  the  Scripture  saith,  ''Blessed  is 
the  man  to  whom  the  Lord  imputeth  not  iniquity." 
Such  an  one  has  the  .forgiveness  of  sins,  and  peace 
with  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  Therefore  he  is 
"blessed" .  But  the  Holy  Spirit  has  yet  added  something 
here,  namely,  the  word  "holy" .  And  these  two  words, 
^'blessed"  and  "holy",  have  been  bound  together 
tremendously  strong  by  the  little  conjunction  "and", 
so  that  it  hano^s  together  like  a  chain  which  no  man 
can  break;  for  "what  God  hath  joined  together,  let 
no  man  put  asunder."  Thus  these  two  things, 
"blessed  and  holy",  are  inseparably  united  by  divine 
authority.  One  who  has  been  resurrected  spiritually, 
has  also  received,  in  his  regeneration,  such  a  measure 
of  the  divine  nature,  that  he  is  enabled  to  reign  over 
.all  actual  sin,  and  to  live  a  "holy"  life  If  he  will 
watch  and  pray,  he  can  also  master  his  passions, 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


crucify  the  "old  man",  and  attain  Christian  perfection, 
in  which  state  he  entertains  a  holy  hatred  toward  all 
evil,  and  even  abhors  his  darling  sins,  for  he  pos- 
sesses power  to  love  God  with  all  his  heart.  By  love,, 
all  envy,  pride,  the  adulterous  vanity  of  fashion,  all 
unbelief,  avarice,  backbiting  and  all  evil  will  be  burnt 
out  of  the  soul,  just  as  a  fire  will  burn  dry  stubble. 
That  Christian  is  perfect  in  love,  who  instantly  repels 
every  temptation,  and  who,  when  Satan  tempts  him 
to  pride,  replies,  "I  will  go  a  step  farther  down";  if 
tempted  to  avarice,  reaches  into  the  pocket-book  and 
brings  an  offering  to  God;  when  cursed,  blesses  the 
curser. 

The  devil,  however,  has  a  ministry  in  the  world 
now-a-days,  who  can  not  abide  this  truth.  It  is  in- 
deed well  understood,  where  the  light  is  so  clear,  that: 
a  man  must  be  converted,  which  is  admitted  by  them. 
They  will  also  allow  one  to  feel  something  of  the 
nearness  of  God,  but  there  must  be  no  stir  and  no 
noise  connected  with  it.  Then  it  is  also  taught  that 
a  person  must  always  be  a  weak  Christian,  must  sin 
every  day  and  repent  daily.  We  can  not  be  saved 
from  sin  until  we  get  into  the  grave.  Sin  will  not 
end  with  us  until  our  bodies  are  dust.  Those  who 
desire  to  become  free  from  sin  in  this  life  are  branded 
as  proud  pharisees  and  self-righteous  people.  In 
this  way  the  devil's  preachers  seek  to  tear  the  "holy" 
and  the  "blessed"  apart.  But  the  Lord  has  put  the 
"and"  between  them,  which  binds  them  together  as 
with  a  vise,  so  that  no  devil  nor  man  can  separate 
th  e  m .    Hallelujah  / 


420  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

However,  the  Lord  has  a  ministry  in  the  world 
which  He  himself  has  called  and  sanctified,  and 
anointed  with  his  Holy  Spirit,  who  are  enabled  to 
preach  the  whole  counsel  of  God  from  experience. 
These  preach  the  Word  of  God  as  they  have  learned 
it  in  the  school  of  Christ.  They  present  holiness  and 
happiness  to  the  people  in  conjunction,  and  tell  the 
people  that  "without  holiness  no  man  can  see  the 
Lord."  In  their  preaching  the  Word  of  God  cuts 
and  pierces  in  every  direction,  for  "the  Word  of  God 
is  sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword,  piercing  to  the 
dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints 
and  marrow,  and  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and 
intents  of  the  heart."  That  is  the  way  to  preach,  and 
so  I  am  bound  to  preach  until  my  eyelids  close  in 
death,  for  the  truth  must  be  enthroned  and  the  right 
of  the  Lord  must  triumph ! 

These  blessed  and  holy  ones  are  also  priests  unto 
God  and  his  Christ.  Through  their  union  with  Christ, 
the  everlasting  High-priest,  they  have  become  a  spirit- 
ual priesthood,  to  bring  unto  God  a  sacrifice  of  praise 
continually.  They  often  praise  God  with  a  loud  voice 
as  they  shout  with  the  angels,  "Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest T  or  sing  with  David,  "Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul,  and  forget  not  all  his  benefits."  As  spiritual 
priests  they  intercede  for  a  wicked  world,  the  man, 
as  head  of  a  family  offers  daily  morning  sacrifice  at 
family  prayers.  Such  people  are  the  heirs  of  God,  and 
obtain  the  Millennial  kingdom  in,  whatever  it  may  prove 
to  consist;  yea,  they  inherit  what  is  a  thousand  times 
better, — the  kingdom  of  eternal  glory.  Hallelujah! 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


421 


NEGLECTING  APPOINTMENTS. 
(Written  for  "Der  ChristHche  Botschafter",  1852). 

In  the  first  number  of  the  "Botschafter"  for  June,  I 
noticed  something  that  pleased  me  greatly,  namely, 
that  one  of  our  itinerant  preachers,  who  has  traveled 
for  many  years,  and  on  heavy  circuits,  says,  that  he 
has  never  missed  an  appointment  yet.  I  am  in- 
formed, however,  that  there  is  another,  in  the  Indiana 
conference,  who  has  traveled  for  seven  years,  of  whom 
the  same  can  be  said.  But  where  is  the  third,  who  is 
so  fortunate  as  to  be  able  to  say  this  ?  Let  us  hear 
from  him.  There  is  hardly  one  in  ten  who  is  so 
prompt. 

In  all  our  conferences,  and  in  nearly  all  our  districts 
and  circuits,  I  must  constantly  listen  with  grief  to  the 
complaint  that  the  preacher  carelessly  neglects  ap- 
pointments to  preach.  By  this  destructive  evil  we 
have  lost  many  communities,  where  there  was  good 
prospect  of  success.  And  the  evil  has  increased 
terribly  during  the  last  few  years.  Preachers  send 
one  appointment  to  preach  after  another,  only  to  neg- 
lect them,  and  so  the  appointments  become  dis- 
appointments,  and  the  deceived  people  finally  send 
for  preachers  who  will  serve  them  more  faithfully,  but 
often  get  such  as  only  comfort  them  in  their  sins.  In 
this  way  the  hearts  of  the  people  are  closed  against 
us  and  against  the  truth  which  saves.  I  would 
urgently  recommend  to  our  young  preachers  who 
were  received  into  our  conference  last  Spring,  to 
read,  inwardly  digest  and  observe  the  fourth  and  fifth 
paragraphs  in  the  Rules  for  the  reception  of  preachers, 


422  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


and  the  second  paragraph  in  the  General  Rules  for 
our  preachers.  The  same  advice  I  would  also  give 
to  all  who  in  the  future  may  be  received  among  us. 

As  regards  those  who  have  already  contracted  the 
pernicious  habit  of  neglecting  appointments,  I  would 
affectionately  advise  them  to  be  converted  without 
delay  from  it,  and  then  prove  the  change  by  their 
conduct.    In  this  way  the  trouble  can  be  obviated. 


FROM  AN  ORDINATION  SERMON  AT  ALLENTOWN,  PA. 

Text:  "Study  to  show  thyself  approved  unto  God, 
a  workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed,  rightly 
dividing  the  word  of  truth."    2.  Tim.  2:15. 

In  the  first  place  an  "approved  workman"  must 
above  all  things  be  soundly  converted  deep  into 
eternal  life.  Such  conversion  must  not  only  appear 
from  his  outward  manners  and  morals,  but  it  must 
appear  from  a  living  inward  testimony  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  that  he  is  a  child  of  God.  It  is  extremely 
censurable  and  a  sacrilegious  assumption  of  authority 
for  men  and  youths  to  venture  into  the  pulpit  as 
shepherds  of  souls,  who  have  never  gone  through  a 
genuine  evangelical  repentance,  and  have  never  ex- 
perienced a  change  of  heart.  Before  my  conversion 
the  thought  of  preaching  was  far  from  my  mind.  I 
was  converted  while  I  was  still  a  cooper.  My  peni- 
tential struggle  was  a  hard  one.  I  had  less  assistance 
too,  than  people  have  now-a-days.  But  after  my  con- 
version the  Lord  laid  the  ministry  upon  me. 

I  care  not  how  beautiful,  smooth  and  polished  a 
"workman's"  appearance  in  the  pulpit  may  be;  it 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  423 


matters  not  how  systematic  his  discourse,  nor  how 
rhetorical  his  language;  it  is  of  little  importance  how 
great  the  burden  of  learning  he  may  carry  with  him; 
if  the  man  is  not  converted,  —  soundly  converted,  — 
converted  from  pride,  his  work  will  be  nothing, 
nothing,  nothing!  It  will  be  ' 'faultily  faultless,  icily 
regular,  splendidly  null."  That's  the  end  of  it.  Per- 
haps there  is  such  a  theological  scholastic  under  the 
sound  of  my  voice  to-day,  who  still  maintains  the 
ancient  notion,  that  it  makes  no  difference  how  the 
preacher's  heart  is,  if  he  only  preaches  the  Word  aright; 
the  people  are  to  do  according  to  his  words.  Per- 
haps he  supposes  that  the  doctrine  of  the  positive 
necessity  of  conversion  is  only  our  peculiar  doctrine. 
Hark!  come  here!  I  will  promptly  give  thee  a  cor- 
rective from  Matt.  7,  that  may  possibly  purge  you  of 
this  error:  "Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs 
of  thistles?"  with  an  addition  from  Matt.  12  th,  "Either 
make  the  tree  good,  and  his  fruit  good;  or  else  make 
the  tree  corrupt,  and  his  fruit  corrupt;  for  the  tree  is 
knozvn  by  his  fruit"    Take  this  pill  and  digest  it. 

In  the  second  place,  an  "approved  workman"  needs 
the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  for  his  office.  All 
the  polish  of  human  learning  avails  nothing.  The 
power  of  God,  which  alone  can  save  sinners,  must  be 
in  the  Word.  I  know  very  well  that  there  are  those 
,  who  trust  in  their  acquired  or  stolen  qualifications, 
and  care  nothing  for  the  one  thing  that  drives  all  the 
wheels  of  the  evangelical  ministry.  Yea  worse,  they 
even  speak  deprecatingly  of  those  who  seek  this  one 
thing  needful  with  sincerity. 


424  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


But  some  one  asks,  What  is  this  one  little  desidera- 
tum?   It  is  fire! 

Listen,  Brethren!  And  ye  people,  listen  also! 
Let  me  illustrate  this  truth,  that  all  display,  and  ex- 
pensive and  polished  machinery  in  church  work  is 
useless  when  the  little  something  is  lacking.  I  take  a 
locomotive,  put  it  on  the  track,  attach  the  passenger 
coaches,  fill  their  cushioned  pews  with  elegantly 
dressed  people,  put  the  conductor  at  his  place,  as 
also  the  engineer  and  the  fireman.  The  boiler  has 
been  filled  with  water,  and  the  furnace  with  the  best 
of  fuel.  For  aught  I  care,  the  passengers  may  also 
admire  and  be  astonished  at  the  mechanical  skill  dis- 
played in  the  construction  of  the  splendid  locomotive. 
They  may  congratulate  themselves  on  the  auspicious 
prospects  of  a  successful  trip.  At  last  the  signal  bell 
in  the  depot  strikes  the  time  of  departure;  the  con- 
ductor pulls  the  bell,  signalling  to  the  engineer  to 
pull  out.  The  engineer  pulls  the  lever  —  back  — 
open  again  —  but  the  machine  will  not  move.  There 
the  thing  stands!  What's  the  matter?  Certainly  it 
looks  as  if  it  ought  to  go.  No  sir!  Something  is 
lacking.  There  s  no  fire  in  the  furnace,  therefore  no 
steam  in  the  boiler,  no  power  in  the  wheels.  The 
mighty  enginery  will  not  draw  as  much  as  a  cat. 

Perhaps  while  the  thing  is  standing  there  immov- 
able, there  comes  a  horridly  sooty,  smoked-up  old 
engine,  steaming,  puffing,  smoking,  groaning,  up  a 
side  track,  drawing,  with  majestic  strength,  a  hundred 
loaded  cars  of  coal.  Why,  what  has  this  homely, 
black  and  sooty  engine  got  within,  that  enables  him 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  425 
t'I      •  v     '  ^ '         '  ??:?"°'^;- 

to  put  to  shame  our  attractive,  handsome  machine, 
possessing  all  latest  improvements?  It  has  fire! 
Fire  is  what  it  has!  That  engine  with  fire  represents 
the  soundly  converted  and  divinely  anointed  work- 
man, and  the  other  represents  the  lifeless,  spiritless 
man,  who  has  every  qualification,  save  that  most 
necessary,  which  God's  Spirit  must  supply.  The 
most  elegant  workmen  are  seldom  the  best.  But 
those  who  have  the  appearance  of  workmen  set  the 
corn-fields  of  the  Philistines  on  fire. 


THREE  VICES  AMONG  CHRISTIAN  PROFESSORS. 

To  all  sincere  persons  who  stand  in  the  grace  of 
God,  I  wish  prosperity  in  the  well  begun  work.  But 
it  is  necessary  to  this  purpose  that  all  the  heads  of  the 
Church  should  die  unto  the  world  and  sin  and  all 
temporal  things,  and,  as  ensamples  of  the  flock  of 
Christ,  live  a  holy  life.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  preach 
repentance  and  regeneration  alone,  but  also  growth 
in  grace,  until  perfect  holiness  of  heart  be  attained. 
When  this  is  once  accomplished,  there  will  be  few  if 
any  backsliders  among  professors  of  religion,  and 
fewer  lame  and  crippled  would  stop  along  the  way  of 
life  and  be  lost. 

But  there  are  certain  vices  which  greatly  hinder 
progress  in  holiness,  of  which  I  will  mention  three  of 
the  worst.  The  first  is  avarice —  the  desire  for  money 
and  worldly  treasures.  In  our  times  this  evil  is  so 
mighty,  that  many  are  in  debt  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  are  not  only  ruining  themselves,  but  cause  many 
of  their  fellow-men  to  lose  all  their  possessions,  and 


426  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


to  be  destroyed  soul  and  body.  Paul  says:  "They 
that  will  be  rich  fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare,  and 
into  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts,  which  drown  men 
in  destruction  and  perdition.  At  no  time  has  this 
saying  been  more  strikingly  demonstrated  than  now 
in  the  United  States.  How  little  many  professors 
of  religion,  — some  preachers  not  excepted, — regard 
the  command  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  "owe  no  man 
anything,  but  to  love  one  another."  Money  making 
is  the  order  of  the  day,  but  "the  love  of  many  has 
waxed  cold." 

Another  vice,  that  grows  worse  and  worse  amid  all 
our  misery,  is  vanity, — the  fashion -craze,  and  ex- 
travagance in  general.  This  occasions  a  fearful  ex- 
penditure of  money,  and  many  professors  of  religion 
exert  themselves  to  the  utmost,  not  to  be  behind  the 
world  in  this  regard.  They  even  bring  their  infants 
in  the  cradle  as  offerings  to  this  all-consuming,  cruel 
Moloch.  Therefore  it  is  not  hard  at  all  for  the  devil 
to  pull  the  rising  generation  down  to  destruction  by 
this  rope  of  iniquity.  O  what  a  curse  this  is  for  our 
nation.  This  evil,  which  is  coupled  with  idleness  and 
revelry,  is  the  cause  why  hundreds  of  thousands  in 
our  day  annually  are  suffering  hunger,  misery  and 
want.    uBut  who  hath  believed  our  report?'' 

One  other  vice  that  prevails  in  nearly  all  societies 
to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  is  hatred,  envy,  want  of 
brotherly  love.  Really  there  are  few  societies  wholly 
free  from  this.  It  has  even  invaded  the  ministry, 
though  John  says,  "He  that  hateth  his  brother  is  a 
murderer."    Let  him  who  reads  this,  examine  him- 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c. 


427 


self,  and  see  whether  he  is  not  infected  with  this  evil, 
and  therefore  belongs  to  the  generation  of  Cain,  who 
was  the  first-born  of  the  devil. 

These  three  evils  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  that 
prevail  among  professors  of  religion,  and  which  hinder 
the  work  of  grace  in  the  hearts  of  believers.  If  one 
should  enlarge  upon  all  the  others,  it  would  take  more 
time  and  wisdom  than  I  possess. 

(USURY.  FROM  A  PRIVATE  LETTER.) 

Above  all,  however,  I  desire  that  our  membership 
be  saved  from  the  ten  and  twenty  per  cent,  interest 
system  of  the  robber  band  of  Freeport,  111.  and  other 
western  cities;  also  from  the  American  fashion  craze, 
and  that  they  be  cleansed  from  the  uncleanness  of 
tobacco.  Then  one  would  not  have  occasion  so 
often  to  pray,  "  Help,  Lord,  for  the  godly  man 
ceaseth;  for  the  faithful  fail  from  among  the  children 
of  men." 

SEYBERT  ON  SLAVERY. 

Our  Bishop  was  decidedly  opposed  to  traffic  in 
human  souls  and  bodies,  and  an  enemy  of  slavery, 
in  accordance  with  the  position  of  our  Church,  but  he 
did  not  live  to  see  its  abolition.  He  left  this  world, 
just  as  the  war  cloud  was  gathering  in  the  horizon  of 
our  country,  under  whose  artillery  blasts  this  great 
national  evil  was  atoned  for  with  the  blood  of  patriots. 
He  never  enjoyed  laboring  in  a  slave  State,  and 
whenever  he  came  back  from  an  expedition  below 
Mason's  and  Dixon's  line,  he  expressed  himself  happy 


428  Life  and  Labors  of  yohn  Seybert. 


to  have  got  away  from  "the  accursed  ground" .  Several 
times  he  declared  in  profound  earnest  that  he  would 
not  want  to  stay  in  a  slave  State  even  if  he  were 
dead,  and  he  had  carefully  instructed  his  brethren, 
that  if  it  should  happen  that  he  died  in  a  slave  State, 
they  should  inter  his  remains  in  a  free  State.  He 
boldly  lifted  up  his  voice  in  the  pulpit  against  this 
heaven-crying  national  sin,  and  declared  his  belief 
that  no  slave-holder,  and  much  less  a  slave-trader, 
could  inherit  eternal  life,  unless  he  would  desist  from 
his  evil  practice  in  time. 

In  early  years  Seybert  belonged  to  the  old  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  still  defended  it  in  later  years,  on 
certain  points.  A  western  preacher  took  him  to  task 
on  one  occasion  on  this  account,  and  expressed  his 
surprise  at  the  Bishop's  affiliation  with  that  party, 
when  it  upheld  slavery,  while  he  (the  Bishop)  was  so 
radically  opposed  to  slavery.  After  a  pause,  Seybert 
proceeded  to  show  that  the  original  principles  of  the 
ancient  Democracy  were  right,  but  the  devil,  said  he, 
had  sown  this  weed.  Slavery  did  not  belong  to 
Democracy.  Then  he  went  on,  rising  to  his  feet: 
"  Slavery  is  of  the  devil,  and  if  I  were  called  to  it, 
and  the  government  would  give  me  fifty  thousand 
armed  men,  I  would  go  into  the  South  and  root  out 
this  national  evil  tee-totally!"  "Well!  Well!"  said 
his  auditor.  "Yes  sir,"  said  the  Bishop.  "A  rod  for 
the  fool's  back,  hell  for  the  devil's  reward,  and  ab- 
solute destruction  for  slavery!" 

If  anyone  should  feel  disposed  to  ridicule  the 
Bishop's  notion  of  destroying  slavery  with  fifty  thous- 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  429 


and  men,  it  may  be  enough  to  remind  ourselves  of 
the  fact  that  when  President  Lincoln  and  his  wise 
advisers  issued  the  first  call  for  men,  they  only  wanted 
seventy-five  thousand  men,  and  grave  West  Pointers 
jocosely  spoke  of  finishing  the  affair  "before  break- 
fast". 


SEYBERT  AS  A  TEMPERANCE  APOSTLE. 

The  Bishop  was  extensively  known  as  a  distin- 
guished German  temperance  apostle.  He  frequently 
delivered  temperance  lectures,  and  never  failed  to 
draw  a  crowd.  The  people  streamed  to  his  meetings 
from  every  direction  to  hear  him,  and  all  who  ever 
heard  him  on  the  subject,  agreed  that  he  was  a  suc- 
cessful defender  of  the  cause.  His  extensive  travels 
and  habits  of  observation  gave  him  a  rich  fund  of 
facts,  figures  and  incidents.  The  use  he  made  of 
these,  made  his  efforts  grand  and  irresistible.  He 
would  heap  up  one  calamity  upon  another,  one  im- 
poverishment upon  another,  one  lost  life  upon  another, 
one  brutal  act  upon  another,  one  crime  upon  another, 
one  imprisonment  upon  another,  and  one  hangman's 
execution  upon  another — all  caused  by  drunkenness. 
It  poured  from  his  lips  in  a  torrent  of  eloquence  so 
majestic  that  it  might  be  said  of  him  as  the  old 
Romans  were  wont  to  say  of  Cicero,  "Thunder  and 
lightning  are  on  his  tongue."  He  presented  calcula- 
tions, showing  how  many  drunkards  there  are  in  the 
United  States,  and  how  many  moderate  drinkers, 
whom  he  designated  "the  nursery  garden  of  drunken- 
ness", and  from  which  whole  fleets  are  driven  into 


43°  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 


the  glassy  throat  of  this  Maelstrom  of  destruction. 
He  showed  how  many  annually  sink  into  a  drunkard's 
grave,  how  many  citizens  are  ruined  by  this  vice  and 
get  into  poor-houses,  hospitals  and  prisons;  then  the 
amount  of  expenses  the  State  incurs  in  litigations  and 
prosecutions  caused  by  the  rum  traffic,  the  amount 
of  time  and  money  that  is  squandered,  the  number 
of  widows  and  neglected  orphans  that  in  this  land  of 
plenty  are  constantly  crying  and  groaning  in  want, 
and  how  many  souls  are  lost  in  hell  annually.  This 
was  done  with  such  emphasis  and  earnestness,  and 
with  such  divine  power,  that  the  ordinary  flippancy 
of  temperance  mass  meetings  disappeared,  and  his 
large  audiences  melted  in  tears.  Of  course,  his 
quaintness  and  eccentricity  which  he  manifested  on 
the  platform  as  well  as  elsewhere,  frequently  excited 
the  risibles  of  his  auditors,  for  his  style  of  oratory  was 
strikingly  original  and  inimitable. 

Rev.  S.  Neitz  relates  that  he  once  heard  him  de- 
liver a  temperance  address  before  astonished  thous- 
ands in  an  important  city  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania. 
There  were  in  the  audience  all  classes  of  people, 
lawyers,  magistrates,  doctors,  editors,  theologians, 
professors,  merchants,  artisans,  farmers,  day-laborers 
and  others.  It  was  a  popular  audience  in  the  broadest 
sense,  brought  out  by  public  desire  to  hear  the 
Bishop.  Mr.  Neitz  observed  a  row  of  aristocrats, 
who  beguiled  the  moments  of  waiting  in  making  sport 
of  the  homespun  little  man  who  sat  on  the  platform, 
at  the  same  time  somewhat  piqued  that  such  an  en- 
thusiastic audience  should  assemble  to  hear  him. 


Extracts  from  Sermons  &c.  43  r 

However,  he  had  not  proceeded  far  in  his  address 
before  they  changed  their  manner,  and  began  to  be 
ashamed  of  their  hasty  judgment,  and  yet  still  some- 
what of  the  opinion  that  nothing  eloquent  could  come 
from  such  an  ordinary  source.  Soon  they  were  smil- 
ing- audibly  at  his  witticisms,  and  the  next  moment 
weeping  at  his  touching  allusions. 

His  text  was  Prov.  23:29,  30.  "Who  hath  woe, 
who  hath  sorrow,  who  hath  contention,  who  hath 
babblings,  who  hath  wounds  without  cause,  who  hath 
redness  of  eyes?  They  that  tarry  long  at  the  wine,"' 
etc.  This  was  his  great  temperance  text.  His 
second  great  temperance  text  wTas,  "Wine  is  a  mocker, 
and  strong-  drink  is  rapine,  and  whosoever  is  deceived 
thereby  is  not  wise."  The  Bishop  described  the 
"woe",  the  "sorrow",  the  "contentions",  the  "bab- 
blings", the  "wounds",  and  the  appearance  and  con- 
duct of  drunkards  in  an  unequaled  style.  Among 
other  subjects  upon  which  he  came  to  speak  in  this 
celebrated  speech,  he  referred  to  the  fact  that  the 
poison  of  alcohol  becomes  hereditary,  and  is  trans- 
mitted from  parent  to  child.  "The  inclination  to 
drink  intoxicants",  he  said,  "is  inherited  by  the  child 
from  the  parent."  Then  he  exclaimed  with  thrilling 
vehemence,  "it  runs  in  the  blood!  it  runs  in  the 
blood,  ye  people!!  I  can  prove  it.  Up  there  in  the 
Pennsylvania  Iron  Works  there  was  a  drunkard  who 
had  eleven  sons,  and  of  these  ten  became  drunkards. 
It  runs  in  the  blood,  my  friends !" 

Then  he  addressed  himself  to  the  brewers,  distillers 
and  dealers  in  liquor  in  a  merciless  manner.  "You- 


43 2  Life  and  Labors  of  John  Seybert. 

have  no  right  to  engage  in  a  business  that  involves 
your  neighbor  in  loss  both  in  soul  and  in  body,  there- 
fore you  ought  not  to  sell  him  liquid  fire  to  drink. 
Alcohol  may  have  a  legitimate  place  in  medical 
science,  and  I  suppose  it  could  be  dispensed  with  in 
that  too,  if  our  physicians  had  more  skill,  but  for  this 
one  distillery  would  be  enough  for  the  whole  United 
States.  What  shall  we  do  with  the  rest  of  them? 
What  are  they  good  for?  They  are  manufactories 
where  they  prepare  a  death  potion  for  our  citizens 
in  large  vats.    O  God,  root  them  all  out  of  our  land! 

All  who  sell  strong  drink  in  a  promiscuous  way, 
are  national  poisoners  and  murder  our  citizens  at 
wholesale.  Their  eyes  know  no  pity  nor  sparing, 
but  they  drive  our  people  in  great  fleets  to  destruc- 
tion. And  what  is  their  profit?  Why,  the  blood  of 
these  poor  sots.  No  need  of  envying  them  their 
large  possessions  and  palatial  homes,  for  they  are  full 
of  blood.  The  curse  of  God  rests  on  their  lands  and 
in  their  palaces.  The  blood  of  their  fellowmen  is 
upon  them.  It  cleaves  to  the  stones  in  their  walls, 
to  the  timber  in  their  frames,  to  the  costly  furniture 
of  their  rooms.  The  curse  of  the  Almighty  is  on 
their  arbors  of  ease,  follows  them  on  their  journeys 
and  withers  their  forests.  It  is  a  fire  that  burns  on 
down  into  the  deepest  hell.  Wherever  the  dealers 
and  the  manufacturers  dwell  there  is  blood,  blood  is 
the  foundation  of  the  wall,  blood  is  the  capstone  of 
the  arch,  blood  is  the  covering  of  the  roof.  The 
floor,  the  walls,  the  ceiling  are  red  with  blood!  Blood 
everywhere!    O  thou  bloody  man,  canst  thou  hope 


Extracts  f  rom  Sermons  &c.  433 

that  thy  blood-money  will  reach  the  third  or  fourth 
generation  of  heirs?  Your  fields  of  blood  will  not 
reach  the  third!  There  lives  in  Heaven  a  righteous 
God,  and  as  thou  dost  spoil  thy  neighbor's  soul  and 
body  and  family,  so  will  God  spoil  thee  and  root  out 
thy  very  name  from  beneath  the  sun." 

In  such  strains  the  Bishop  went  on,  and  carried  his 
audience  with  him  on  the  resistless  tide  of  his  burning 
eloquence.  He  was  full  of  enthusiasm,  full  of  sincere 
earnestness,  full  of  information  and  full  of  divine 
love,  and  these  things  together  made  him  an  orator 
whose  power  over  his  audiences  was  seldom  excelled. 

At  one  time,  in  his  great  interest  in  the  cause,  he 
ordered  a  lithograph  of  a  great  temperance  painting, 
which  portrayed  in  a  striking  manner  the  work  of 
alcohol  from  the  still  to  the  gallows.  It  was  known 
as  "Bishop  Seybert's  Whisky  Dragon". 

One  evening,  on  his  way  to  an  appointment,  he 
passed  a  distillery,  and  a  little  further  on  a  drunken 
wretch  prostrate  by  the  road- side  in  the  gutter.  He 
told  his  congregation  that  on  the  way  he  had  "passed 
one  of  the  devil's  hog-pens,  (meaning  the  distillery), 
and  a  little  further  on,  one  of  the  devil's  hogs!" 

FINIS. 


28 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


A 

A  bloody  business  

A  brand  plucked  from  the  burn 

ing  

A  Christian  wedding  

A  colleague  

A  dollar  in  time  of  need...  

A  fortunate  man  

A  hard  day  ,  

A  hard  trip  

A  modern  Hannah  

A  night  in  a  German  hotel  

A  powerful  sermon  

A  year's  work   

Abusive  woman  

Adventure  in  Lycoming  creek... 
Adventure  in  Schuylkill  river... 

Afraid  of  thunder  

Aged  Mennonite  

Albright  as  Bishop    ... 

American  feet  on  British  soil  

Among  Spiritual  children  

Among  the  Amish  

An  appeal  to  the  ministry  

And  the  door  was  shut  

An  evening  at  Manheim  

An  herculean  undertaking  

Ann  Arbor,  Mich  

Annoyed  by  circus   

Another  large  book  order  

An  unwelcome  guest  

Approaching  his  end  

Approved"  workman  

Arraignment  of  liquor  dealers  .. 
Arraignment  of  false  prophets  .. 
As  to  changing  the  Discipline... 

At  Albany,  N.  Y  

At  Ann  Arbor  again   

At  the  grave  of  Albright..   

Aurora  

Avarice  


page. 
432 

226 
288 
253 

79 
343 

40 
330 
120 
301 
359 
192 
151 
293 

78 
115 
342 
197 
218 
304 
259 
202 
214 
158 
200 
264 
269 
238 
185 
357 
423 
397 

46 
354 
266 
297 
256 
345 
425 


page 

Bachelor....;   132 

Baptized,  different  modes.   162 

Baptizing  child   79 

Bad  behavior..,   223 

Beginning  in  Allentown,  Pa   178 

Beginning  of  fifth  term  as  Bishop  326 

Beginning  to  preach   33 

Berks  Countv,  Pa   80- 

Betz,  Rev.  M   25 

Big  meeting  at  Washington,  Pa.  76 

Bill  of  expenses   217 

Birth   12 

Born  into  eternal  life   137 

Bound  to  die  on  the  walls  330 

Breaking  fallow  ground   99 

Breaking  ice   168 

Burial  of  Seybert   367 


Call  to  the  ministry   31 

Camp-ground  at  Marshall   338 

Camp-meeting  at  Eby's   153 

Camp-meeting  at  Ernst's   9& 

Camp-meeting  at  Haney's   236 

Camp-meeting  at  Lebanon,  Pa...  164 
Camp-meeting  at  Orwigsburgh...  154 

Canaan  District     94 

Canadian's  surprised   265 

Canton  Circuit   61 

Captain  Price   263 

Celebrating  victory  at  Columbus  269 

Centre  and  two  wings   322 

Centre  of  Hell   287 

Chamber  of  horrors  <   181 

Character  of  Bishop  Seybert   371 

Character  of  work  in  Canada   295> 

Christliche  Botschafter  on  Sey- 
bert  384 

Class  leader   30* 

Class  leaders  complaint   41 


(434) 


General  Index. 


435 


page. 


Close  of  1830   120 

Close  of  1842    245 

Close  of  1846   277 

Close  of  1849     290 

Clothes  .   268 

Cold  meeting   54 

Comprehensive  plans     229 

Conversation,  Seybert  in   375 

Conviction,  Beginning  of   16 

Conversion  of  Focht   74 

Conversion  of  Jacob  Esher   140 

Conversion  of  Mr.  Merta   145 

Conversion  of  parents   12 

Conversion  of  Seybert   27 

Conversion  of  three  Catholics...  149 

Conversions,  not  accessions   316 

Conversions  in  brother's  house..  67 

Converted  disturber   63 

Converted  tavern-keeper  248  167 

Converted  through  a  dream   57 

"Couldn't  stand  jumping"   109 

Could  not  visit  that  way   362 

Cripple  converted   192 

Crossing  Mt.  Mahantango   157 

Crossing  the  Mississippi   259 

D 

Dangel,  Rev.   334 

Dangerous  adventure   293 

Death  of  a  drunkard   63 

Death  of  Bernd   61 

Death  of  Bishop  Seybert    365 

Death  of  his  father   17 

Death  of  his  mother    352 

Dedication  of  residence   319 

Dedicated  indeed   339 

Dedicated  properly   326 

Democratic  party  .   428 

Devil's  boys    433 

Devil's  camp-meetings   81 

Devil's  hole     69 

Dissinger,  Moses   328 

Dispute   51 

"Do  make  me  well  again!"    277 

Doylestown,  Pa   160 

Drinking  rum  like  an  ox   237 

Driving  like  Jehu   72 

Dr.  Nothwagel   273 

u Driving"  the  Lord's  work   282 

Dreams    34 

Dreams   134 

Dying  in  the  field   205 


page. 

Ebenezer    66 

|  Eckert,  Barbara   88 

|  Educated  ministers   238 

;  Egged    215 

Elected  presiding  elder   93 

I  Elected  Bishop     195 

I  End  of  first  term   251 

Enterprise   236 

|  Entire  freedom,  sermon  on   360 

Equipment  for  ministry   32 

Erb,  Rev.  John  .....   339 

Erie  Circuit   130 

!  Esher,  J.  J.  received  into  min- 
istry  263 

Esher  on  Seybert   360 

i  Evangelical  Messenger  on  Sey- 

I     bert   380 

Exploring   183 

P 

I  Female  drunkard   186 

!  Fever   277 

j  Few  extracts   389 

:  Fiddler  converted   244 

Fiftieth  birthday   231 

Finding  fault     65 

Fire  needed   424 

Fire  put  out   159 

j  First  camp-meeting  in  Illinois...  232 
First  church  with  bell  and  tower.  248 

!  First  church  in  Wisconsin   259 

|  First  Conference  session   54 

|  First  missionary     129 

j  First  missionary  to  Germany   305 

First  President  of  Par.  Miss.  Soc.  168 

First  regular  missions... .  =   201 

First  Resurrection   414 

First  revival  in  Cleveland,  O.  ...  285 
First  sheaf  on  Mohawk  mission.  225 
First  sermon  at  camp-meeting...  53 

First  session  Illinois  Conf   262 

First  session  of  Ohio  Conference.  221 

First  visit  to  Canada..   218 

Fishing   58 

Forty  days  in  Ohio...   282 

Forty  recommendations   355 

Forty-third  birthday   143 

Four  classes  of  people   110 

Fourth  election  as  Bishop   305 

Fourth  term  as  P.  E   182 

Free  from  tobacco   337 

Friend  of  culture   239 


436 


Ge?ieral  Index. 


From  Pittsburgh  to  Circleville...  241 
Funeral     366 

G 

Galen   218 

General  Conference  of  1835   150 

General  Conference  of  1839   194 

General  Conference  of  1843   252 

Georges'  Valle}',  Pa   190 

Glorious  times   243 

Good  times   40 

Good  times  in  Pennsylvania   281 

Good  prospects  in  Canada   295 

Got  well  preaching   417 

Great  sermon  328 

Great  drunkard  of  Lebanon  ..  ..  176 

Great  day  in  Allentown   215 

Growing  old   315 

H 

Hamburg  Conference   316 

Happy   142 

Hard  to  convert   210 

Harmonites,  history  of   18 — 20 

Harmonites,  last  difficulty    40 

Hatred   426 

Henry  Seybert   12 

His  first  Conference  as  Bishop...  200 

History  is  judgment   371 

History  of  work  in  Canada   347 

Hope  Church   303 

Horse  played  truant   230 

Horse  ran  away  

How  to  celebrate  July  4   271 

I 

"I  am  lost! "    71 

Illinois  Conference  formed   254 

Importance  of  eternal  things.,.  53 
Important  converts  at  Orwigs- 

burgh   77 

Incident   224 

Incident  at  Manheim   179 

Incident  in  Bethlehem   339 

Incident  in  New  York   317 

Independence  day  1838   187 

Indians   60 

In  Indiana     284 

In  New  York   245 

Intellect,  Seyberr's   374 

Interest  in  the  West   278 

Interrupted   117 

Interrupted  by  dogs   222 


page.. 

Isaac  Parker,  home  of..-  ,.  321 

It  thundered  there   364 

J 

Jacoby's  assault   26$ 

Jeremiah's  sister...    39 

Job,  Sermon  on..   389 

Journal   35 

J ournal  entry   196 

K 

Klinefelter  restored....   43 

L 

Laborious  ride....   256 

Lacked  unction   85 

Lack  of  ministers...   202. 

Lack  of  qualifications.   203 

Lancaster,  O   62 

Large  book  order   227 

Last  Annual  Conference   355 

Last  birthday   353 

Last  day  on  the  road   363 

Last  General  Conference   356. 

Last  leave  taking  of  East  Pa. 

Conference   341 

Launched   56 

Learning  in  sickness   8$ 

Leaving  Canaan  District   181 

Let  Satan  rage!   299- 

Letter  to  friend   96 

Letter  to  young  preacher..   211 

Letter  to  young  preacher   325' 

Letter  writing...      211 

"Life!  Life!"   195. 

Locating   204 

Long  in  prophet's  chamber   351 

Long  journey  <   240 

Lord's  Supper,  last   357 

Lost  in  forest   62 

Lost  his  voice   50 

Lost !  Lost !   35 

Luther's  doggerel   213 

Love,  Sermon  on   ........  405 

Loyal  Sock   192 

M 

Mahantango   49 

Malaria  again    73 

Maligned  on  York  Circuit   52. 

Manheim  36 — 97 

Marriage  of  father   12 

Meeting  at  Reber's   44 


General  Index. 


437 


page. 

Meeting  of  bishops.   297 

Miracles   233 

Missionary  literature   201 

Missionary  sent  to  Illinois    221 

More  English   253 

Mother  led  astray   19 

Must  not  preach  as  yet   155 

N 

Narrow  escape   311 

Nazareth   147 

Need  of  preaching  by  us   50 

Neglecting  appointments   421 

New  style  converts   306 

New  York  City   212 

Niebel's  preaching     54 

No  creature  of  circumstances...  372 

No  preacher  for  seven  years   272 

No  time  to  eat,  only  to  pray   335 

Not  confirmed   14 

Not  dead  yet   337 

Not  opposed  to  schools   320 

"Not  peace,  but  a  sword."   51 

Not  seduced   273 

O 

Offerings  of  jewelry   317 

Ohio  Conference  session   170 

Ohio  Conference  at  Seybert's 

grave   368 

One  distillery  enough   432 

One  year  as  a  missionary   141 

On  tobacco   400 

On  pastoral  visiting   208 

Ordained  as  Elder   83 

Ordination  Sermon   422 

Organization  of  Miss.  Society...  200 

Overtaken  by  a  storm   183 

Out  of  office  2  hours  and  14 

minutes   253 

P 

Paradise   149 

Parentage   11 

Parsonages   123 

Pastoral  visiting  206—329 

Pay  your  debts   353 

Penitential  struggle   26 

Pentecost  at  Falk's   286 

Performs  a  miracle   271 

Per  Pedes   322 

Persecuting  seekers   189 

Persecuted  wives   171 


page. 

Personal  appearance. «   373 

Personal  effects,  sale  of   368 

Philadelphia,  first  to  visit   68 

Philistine  corn-fields   126 

Police  officer   95 

"Portraits  of  Christians."  ,  51 

Praising  God  on  the  way  home.  146 

Praying  for  sick  horse   231 

Preaching  English   59 

Preaching  English  again          .  120 

Preaching  to  three  hearers   51 

Preaching  in  cooper-shop   60 

Preaching  in  hotel   94 

President  of  Conference   99 

Presiding  Elder  again   113 

Prophesying   101 

Profitless  disputings   174 

Proli   21 

Prosperity  in  Philadelphia   162 

Prosperity  in  the  West   262 

Protracted  meetings  begun   166 

Publishing  House  established...  166 
Publishing    House    moved  to 

Cleveland   305 

Pulpit  power   376 

Pushing  forward   273 

Q 

Quarterly  meeting  at  Mohawk...  122 
Quarterly  meeting  without  con- 
versions  318 

B 

Rabble  at  Ernst's   91 

Rapp,  Geo   18 

Rapp,  John   102 

Reception  at  Mt.  Curroll,  111   271 

Re-elected  Bishop   253 

"Reformed!"    173 

Reformation  in  Tioga  Co.,  Pa....  187 

Religious  zealots   257 

Remarkable  prayer-meeting   70 

"Resting"   294 

Resume  of  1850   300 

Rev.  Felix   58 

Rev.  J.  Drometer  healed    271 

Rev.  22:  17   43 

Revival  at  Milwaukee   235 

Revival  at  Orwigsburgh  begun...  74 

Revival  at  Upper  Millford   145 

Revival  in  Baltimore   226 

Revival  in  Texas   340 


438 


General  Index. 


page. 

Sad  death   179 

Sad  experience   235 

Sang  him  down   113 

Sartor  Resartns   25 

Sat  down^in  a  storm   259 

Saving  the  widow's  home   121 

Schuylkill  circuit   68 

Second  camp-meeting  in  111   242 

Secret  of  benevolence...:   327 

Self-defence  against  Jacoby   261 

Sensel   86 

Seriously  ill   108 

Sermon  by  Henry  Fisher.........  147 

Seven  big  meetings   149 

Seventeen  new  preachers   237 

Seventy  accessions,   82 

Severe  accident   333 

Seybert  and  Long  contrasted...  255 

Seybert  at  sixty   298 

Seybert' s  brother   22 

Seybert's  conveyance  and  outfit.  292 

Seybert' s  ^firmness   23 

Seybert's  sagacity   206 

Shooting  Seybert   100 

Short  year   160 

Sick   63 

Sign  post  must  go   167 

Signs  of  the  times    173 

Sixth  election  as  Bishop   356 

Sixty-fifth  year   330 

Sixty-three  days  in  New  York...  289 

Slavery   427 

Spiritual  children   220 

Spiritual  poverty   119 

Strange  crime   118 

Success  in  Pennsylvania    306 

Suffering  persecution   133 

Suicide,  The   39 

Summary  

Sundaj^-school  address   352 

Sunday-schools  established   150 

Sunset   350 

T 

Taking  heavy  end   352 

Talk  with  farmer   84 

Temperance  apostle   429 

Temperance  hotel   244 

Temperance  lecture   431 

Temperance  meeting   192 

Testament   369 

The  blasphemer   172 


The  blessed  and  holy  lot   414 

The  Economists   103 

The  Episcopacy.    196 

The  Episcopal  office   410 

The  "  Inspired."   296 

The  midnight  visit   135 

The  minister's  dream   246 

The  old  sawmill   169 

The  Pit   56 

The  question  of  salary    324 

The  regions  beyond  ....   262 

The  slanderer   413 

The  soaked  journal    294 

The  Weaver's  loom   274 

Third  term  as  Bishop   280 

Third  term  as  P.  E   144 

Thirty  souls  at  dedication.   346 

"  This  is  no  Bishop  !  "    267 

"  This  is  the  devil !  "   143 

Three  vices   425 

Tireless  zeal     326 

Tobacco   222 

Too  late   270 

Towers,  bells  and  debts   316 

Transfigured    358 

Traveling  in  Ohio..   67 

Traveling  with  Long   304 

Travels  in  Ohio   220 

Trials  at  Philadelphia   223 

Tribute,  anonymous   386 

Tribute  to  Bishop  Seybert   378 

Trip  through  Canada   265 

Trustee  of  legacies   113 

Twenty-eight  days  in  Canada....  344 

Twenty  miles  on  foot     214 

Two  camp-meetings  in  Illinois...  269 

Two  days  with  J.  Dreisbach   312 

Two  new  districts  in  Ohio  Conf.  251 

Two  sermons   232 

Typical  missionary    130 

U 

Union  camp-meeting   106 

Unity  in  the  Ev.  Association....  30 

Usury   427 

V 

Vanity   420 

Visiting  his  mother  102—324 

Visiting   Rev.  J.  Dreisbach  in 

Harrisburg,  Pa   104 

Visit  to  Bishop  Long   263 

Visit  to  Dr.  Nast   270 

Vogelbach's  withdrawal   223 


General  Indxz. 


439 


page. 


Warren,  Pa   138 

Was  Seybert^the  first  Bishop?.  .  196 

Waterford,  N.  J   157 

Well  arranged  camp-ground   284 

Western  Conference  formed    106 

Western  rjrosperitj   299 

Wheeling",  111   311 

Where  the  fight  is  hottest   279 

Whisky  Dragon   433 

"  Who  are  the  Strablers  ?"   81 

Who  was  the  first  Bishop  ?   196 

Why  he  did  not  write  more   343 


Will  have  his  hands  full   295 

Winebrenner,  Rev.  John  97 — 99 

Wine  of  Pentecost   248 

Wisconsin  Conf.  organized   332 

Wisconsin  mission   259 

Womelsdorf   105 

Wounded  fish   45 

Work  in  Canada   288 

Work  of  Evangelical  Assoc'n  ...  175 

Y 

Year  of  jubilee   290 

York  circuit   83 


Date  Doe 





Library  Bureau  Cat  no.  1137 

923.69  S519S  160155 


